A Deadly Obsession
by Chicago Firestarter
Summary: It was a harmless one-night stand. A fling. Letting off some steam. An initial attraction turns into a deadly obsession, and the object of desire finds himself hoping for some escape. This one is all Kelly Severide with a side course of Linseride.
1. The Encounter

**I was going to post this as part of Come Back to Me, but it took on a life of its own. It's a little (okay a helluva a lot) crazy. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

To hell with Boden. To hell with the new Captain. To hell with 51. To hell with it all.

Kelly tried to convince himself that he didn't give a shit about any of it. That he wasn't hanging onto his job by a thread. That said job was the only thing he had in his life that amounted to anything.

Shay was still dead. Casey was struggling. Dawson was pregnant. Benny was MIA. And Katie was in Colorado, maybe permanently.

Kelly Severide was lost, not liking the familiar feel of spiraling the drain. He hoped he wouldn't get swallowed into it this time.

* * *

"You have got to be shittin' me!" Severide yelled, running his hand through his hair roughly.

The demotion was one thing, but all the ass kissing to get his lieutenant's rank back was bordering on the absurd.

"I ain't doin' it!" Kelly affirmed loudly, too loudly as he slammed Chief's door, heading to the kitchen, wishing he could toss back a cold one. Or two. Or a six-pack.

"What's going on?" Casey asked, rising from the old couch in the common room.

"Boden has me signed up for some bullshit class," Kelly fumed, searching for something stronger than orange juice. "Said I ain't gettin' my job back if I don't go."

"Well, maybe if it means you can put this whole thing behind you…" attempted Matt slowly, cautiously.

"So you think I should go?" asked Kelly in disbelief. "You think I should just bend over and …"

"If it means you get to be lieutenant again, then yeah. Your guys need you," Casey continued, knowing his friend's Achilles heel was thinking someone needed him. That hero complex ran deep in Severide. Matt hoped his pride wouldn't trip him up.

Kelly's actions were always more Gorilla than Gandhi, but on this day he took a deep breath, nodded his head and gave into his truck counterpart. Despite all his protests, Severide knew he wasn't going anywhere. If he searched his heart long and hard enough, he would've realized that he needed 51 as much as the house needed him.

* * *

"Best Practices: How to Lead from Behind"

Kelly chuckled as he signed himself in, shaking his head at the ridiculous title of the class. "Lead from behind," he mumbled, "that'd go over great." Guys would love me trailing in after 'em, he thought shaking his head.

"Lead from behind," he heard whispered behind him. "What a crock of …" Kelly heard the grumbling continue.

He turned around, finding himself eye to eye with a blonde beauty dressed for the boardroom not classroom.

"Hi," she said meeting those piercing blue eyes staring at her. "Nicole Meyer." She stuck out a hand assertively.

She was bossy and probably way above his pay grade, but Severide decided there was something in her eyes that said she wanted to be there less than him. Misery does love company, he decided holding out his hand.

"Kelly Severide. You ready to lead from behind?" he asked, gesturing for her to go in ahead of him.

She let out a loud, throaty laugh filling the room. "No, after you," she insisted, waving her hand in a grand gesture that told the fireman to move it.

This might not be all bad, Kelly decided walking in front of the woman, the gorgeous, tall woman who was checking out his ass as he sauntered to an open seat.

* * *

A tumble of hair cascaded down onto Kelly's shoulder, kissing the muscles as they tensed and relaxed. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, needing this. Not a care in the world, just the woman making animal noises on top of him.

The morning came and with it a new day that looked a bit brighter. The sun was shining and the smell of bacon was dancing through Kelly's new place, motivating him to finally drag himself out of bed.

"Hi Superman," Nicole greeted, wearing her bra, panties, and high heels. She skipped over to the fireman, kissing him on the cheek.

"Interesting getup," he commented, trying to wipe the sleep out of his eyes.

"You like?" she asked, flipping her long hair over seductively.

"I ain't complaining," he said, grabbing a piece of bacon.

"I needed that," Nicole admitted. "Really, really needed that."

"Me too," Kelly agreed.

"You want to do that again. Sometime?" she asked, tilting her head so her blonde mane swept to one side.

"Sure," the fireman replied.

"Like now?"

He nodded his head, mischievous grin spreading across his face. "After you," he said gesturing for her to lead the way.

* * *

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Casey asked. "I know it's not that management class."

Kelly didn't say much, kissing and telling not his style. Around noon, a shiny, black Mercedes rolled up to 51. A blonde in a tight skirt walked to the front aware of the many eyes on her, liking the feel of those stares. She had all the confidence of a woman who was used to getting what she wanted. Right now she had her eye on a fireman.

"Hi Superman," Nicole said to Kelly who greeted her outside the house.

"Uh, hey. What's goin' on? Everything okay?" Severide was surprised to see the woman here. They'd left it as casual, non-committal, definitely not show up unexpectedly at work.

"I wanted to see you. When do you get off?" Nicole asked arching her blonde brows.

"Two days. And I got some things to take care of," Kelly replied a little too shortly.

"Can't I be one of those things," the woman asked, sticking out her bottom lip.

Kelly laughed, taking her hands in his. "Thought we said we wanted to keep it casual," he reminded, softening his tone.

Nicole dropped her hands out of his. "Sure thing," she answered flatly, her mouth forming a straight line. She was far more accustomed to getting everything she wanted. _Everyone_ she wanted.

"I better get back to the office," she said shocked that he wasn't jumping at the chance for a repeat performance. That he wasn't jumping on her right now.

"Take care," Kelly said, kissing the blonde on the cheek, as he uttered the brush off words. No, this wasn't the time. Focus on your job, Sev, he told himself. And if he were being completely honest, this wasn't the woman.

He thought about Renee Royce, about Erin … they'd been take charge, confident, but also more. They both had a soft side, one that brought out his. They both knew how to love, how to care so deeply. Something told him this woman was missing that chip.

"You too, Superman." Nicole reluctantly turned to leave. Yes, it was understood that it was a fling. A one glorious night stand that gave them both what they needed. But she was changing her mind. She figured it was a woman's prerogative.

Nicole wanted another night, many other nights. She glanced back, her body shuddering at the memory of his. Goodbye for now, Superman, she thought.

I'll find your kryptonite, she vowed, stepping back into her car.

* * *

"Look who just walked in," Otis commented from behind the bar, sliding another beer in front of his squad brother.

Kelly shrugged, taking a long swig from the bottle. His body language said who gives a shit, but his eyes opened a little wider at the sight of the brunette detective. She was laughing brightly, a stark contrast to the bits and pieces he'd picked up about a Lindsay free fall. His eyes wandered to the woman every few minutes no matter how many times he willed them to stop. What the hell was Otis even yammering about now, he thought.

"Hey, you got some customers over there that need you," Kelly muttered, motioning his head to the far end of the bar. Otis took off recognizing one of those Sev moods settling in.

Kelly took it all in. The flirty way she tossed her hair, the slight touches on the hand, the arm. He couldn't help but think that could've been him.

Only it couldn't. Shay left him and took a part of his heart with her. Took a part of him, ripped it right out in a way that said he would never be really whole again. He wondered if a day would come when he didn't miss her.

Erin noticed the brooding figure in the leather jacket at the bar the second she stepped into Molly's. This wasn't her turf but it always felt like a comfortable fit. Cops and firefighters, like two sides of the same coin. They did seem to go together.

She wondered what the heck was wrong with him, by himself, exchanging a couple of words here and there with Otis. Everytime she thought about going over just to say hi or hey something kept her in her seat.

Kelly abandoned his self-imposed exile and his bar stool in favor of a table filled with squad guys, closer to the detective. The bar became smaller and smaller as the two found themselves moving toward each other. The PD group whittled away to just Antonio and Erin, Gabby and Matt joining their table. Kelly was abandoned by Cruz, finally sauntering over to the familiar faces.

"Severide!" Antonio greeted a little too boisterously, a little too loudly. He had another ten minutes left in him before he slumped in his chair done for the night. Gabby and Matt took leave to get the older Dawson home in bed.

"You two be good," Antonio slurred out with a wink as his sister and the fireman each took an arm.

Gabby shook her head. "Ignore him. He's a disgrace to every Dominican. We DO hold our liquor better than this." Antonio tried to protest but the words wouldn't form.

Kelly and Erin laughed as they watched the three leave Molly's.

The lively table wasn't as lively anymore. They drank their beers, nervous laughter filling the table.

"Well, I better head out," Erin said getting up to go.

"How you been, Erin?" Kelly asked and with those words a new invitation to stay.

Against her better judgement, the brunette sat back down.

* * *

How long could he possibly stay at this dump, thought Nicole parked across the street, trying to see what was going on inside.

The bar was almost empty, but she could see one table remaining. A man and a woman talking. No, more than talking, having some deep conversation. He was holding her hands in his. Oh, wait, now they're laughing, Oh, it's serious again.

Nicole left her car, high heels stomping across the street, body temperature so high she didn't feel the cold around her. The stomping continued as she reached Molly's front door. Closed, the sign said. Pulling on the handle, it opened.

She clickety clacked to the man and woman, her hips sashaying with such force they would've taken out the whole bar if it hadn't been empty.

Except for the couple at that damn table.

"Kelly," Nicole said accusingly, glaring at the woman smiling at him.

Erin was caught so completely off guard, she couldn't speak.

What the hell, thought Kelly as words refused to form in his mouth.

"Introduce me to your friend, Superman. Lois Lane, perhaps," Nicole spat out, plopping herself into a wooden chair at the table. The way she slid it closer had all the feel of nails on a chalkboard.

"Nicole, let's go outside and talk," Kelly tried, looking desperately at the retreating Erin. She was pulling away, and he couldn't let that happen. Not after they just reconnected on some small level, maybe planting a seed that could renew their friendship.

"No, here's good," the blonde said cheerily. "Introduce me," she demanded again, this time with all the niceties gone, her smile disappearing in an instant.

Nicole's hands were clenched below the table so tightly they hurt. Her thumbnail pushed into the fleshy part of her hand, digging at it, drawing a sliver of blood. She smiled again waiting.

Erin knew one thing. She wished she'd listened to that better judgement.

* * *

 **Let the games begin. What do you think?**


	2. The Capture

**Wow, thanks for all the reviews! They're making the fingers fly and the thoughts pour out. Hope you enjoy this update (in record time for me)!**

* * *

Thank God. Thank God she finally took the hint, thought Kelly. Their one night had been fun, what the doctor ordered, but he sure as hell didn't need the distraction of the 'not taking no for an answer' blonde. He made his point in Molly's that night, sending her packing with a firm it just ain't gonna happen. Ever. She took the rejection with a "screw you" and left.

Erin was also gone. The beautiful woman with the dimples for days had made her exit, responded to his 'I'm sorry' text with a terse _No harm, no foul. Glad you're back to yourself._

What the hell did that mean? Glad you're back or back to your womanizing ways? Kelly'd tried to explain the blonde away, but in typical Sev form he'd made it worse. Maybe telling her it was a one night stand wasn't the way to go.

No time to dwell on what ifs. He had a new captain up his ass and what ifs were yielding nothing. What ifs could drive a man to madness. He'd played that game too many times. What if Shay hadn't gone into that building. What if the cops had caught the arsonist years earlier. No, what ifs were for men with too much time on their hands.

"Capp, Cruz, Severide, assess the vehicle, stabilize it if you can," the new captain commanded, drawing Kelly from his thoughts and to the scene at hand.

No shit, thought the fireman, keeping his mouth shut, suppressing every urge to be the one barking out orders, leading from the front. It was torture. Taking orders, any suggestions ignored … he was the invisible member on squad. Hell, the captain even barked out his name last, like he was a damn candidate.

Squad drew closer to the Loomis armored truck, not liking the way it teetered over the edge of the guard rail threatening to plummet to the train tracks below. Two men unconscious inside, both bleeding from the head.

"Casey, get a cable on the back. Cruz, get me my harness," Kelly rattled off, instinct taking over.

Captain Dallas Patterson held up a hand to Joe. "Just stay here. Truck'll have the cable on in 60 seconds. Those guys look like they're in bad shape." He looked at Kelly, matching the death stare he was getting. I will break this guy, he thought. I will drain him of every bit of cockiness, he promised himself. Sure, he was a thoroughbred, but a thoroughbred who'd been allowed to run wild for far too long.

"Severide, get up there and get 'em out." The challenge had been made.

It was accepted. "Sure thing, Captain," Kelly said climbing up the back ladder on the vehicle, crawling on hands and knees across the leaning truck, peering into the side window. He felt the hook being attached. Good man, Casey, he thought, knowing the armored truck wasn't going to meet the tracks after all.

He kicked in the side window, feeling the shift under his body. Deep breath. He leaned over the edge toward his guys.

"I'm gonna pull 'em straight out and bring 'em over one at a time. Be ready Capp. It's gonna be quick." The shift in the heavy truck said things weren't as stable as the cable promised.

Kelly turned to snake down through the window when the vehicle let out an ugly creak, shifting toward the tracks before jerking to an abrupt stop … sending a fireman careening over the side.

* * *

Erin and Jay were across the street grabbing a quick lunch when they heard the unmistakable squeal of tires and inevitable crash that followed. The armored vehicle, full of money, was hanging on the edge of the street. It was a bank on wheels luring a growing crowd to come a little closer.

The partners took charge before any uniforms could show up, pushing the riff raff back, watching 51 take charge of the truck.

Until the truck took charge in a power play that threw a fireman over the side.

"Oh shit," said Jay when Severide flew out of sight.

Erin didn't say anything, ignoring the gasp from the crowd. She watched as Casey and Capp disregarded the captain and flew on top of the truck. She watched as Cruz, still on the ground, leaned over the guardrail looking at the side of the vehicle and down to the tracks below. She watched as Matt had something in his hands. She watched as Capp helped bring the something up. The something that was Kelly Severide who'd been lucky enough to hang onto the side of the truck.

Then Erin remembered to breathe.

* * *

Boden and Dallas could be heard screaming at each other in Chief's office. Wallace in a meeting with the fire chief when the rescue went down. Boden not happy with protocols ignored, with his man hanging on the side of a truck.

Kelly couldn't help but smile, happy someone else was getting his ass chewed for a change.

"Hey, thanks for the hand," he said to Casey, heading for the showers. "You ain't making a play for my job too, right?" he joked as Matt slapped him on the arm.

"Sometimes squad needs the saving, and truck is always ready to do the heavy lifting," Casey laughed.

"Heavy lifting, huh?" Kelly asked, eyes narrowing.

"It looked like someone else was ready to spring onto that truck too. Some cop I vaguely remember… Sharon… Karen?"

"Ha ha. Yeah, we sorta reconnected the other night. Then wires got crossed, but she's meetin' me for dinner tomorrow night." Kelly said anxiously. She was the one offering him a hand as he was lowered to the ground. He took the concerned look in her eyes and ran with it.

"Ah, so that's the reason for the better mood. Congrats, bud. I know Shay would fully approve," Casey said.

Kelly nodded his head, "Yeah, tryin' not to be such a bear. Seein' Erin today helps." Kelly paused, looking in the direction of Chief's office. "That ain't hurtin' either," he added chuckling, still hearing the boom of Boden's voice lay into Dallas Patterson.

* * *

Erin wasn't the only woman watching the armored truck rescue. Nicole saw it unfold from across the street. Losing her job had come at the perfect time. She had her eye on a new job, a change of careers, dedicating herself to getting what she wanted. _Who_ she wanted.

She'd almost marched over and pulled up Kelly herself, but then that blonde guy did it and saved her Superman.

She'd grown to love his voice, crave it. She called 20 or more times a day just to hear that voice. When Kelly changed his number, it took her 30 minutes to get the new one. She'd almost laughed when he said, "Who the hell is this?!"

You thought changing your number would do something? You have no idea who you're dealing with, she thought. But hearing his voice wasn't enough, not nearly enough. Watching him from afar didn't cut it either.

Her plan was coming together. It wouldn't be long.

* * *

Erin ordered another glass of wine. Ten more minutes. That's it. Not one damn second more.

She'd already been waiting 43 minutes and giving Kelly ten more felt extremely generous. Thoughts of their last date raced through her mind. He'd shown up over an hour tardy, offering an excuse of watching a game with Capp at some random bar. It was the last time they'd seen each other as more than friends. The real person he was with was Shay. The memory of a dead best friend making him lose his mind and apparently all track of time.

This was different. There were no excuses. She checked her phone one last time. Nothing.

Erin walked out, the waiter saying not to worry about the wine, a look of pity in his eyes.

She threw off the last of Kelly Severide as she pushed into the cold Chicago night. Done with that one she told herself, no matter how blue those eyes, no matter how full those lips, no matter how strong those arms.

* * *

"So is it customary for Severide to not show up for work? No call? Nothing." Captain Patterson asked Chief Boden, relishing in the tardiness of the man he demoted.

"No it's not," barked Chief. "Casey!" he called, summoning his lieutenant. "Where the hell is Kelly?" he asked Matt.

"No idea, Chief. You sure he didn't put in for vacation?"

"Would I be questioning you if he put in for vacation?!" Boden snapped. He'd been on Kelly's side since the captain showed up. Now, he felt like there was something on his face. Egg.

"Let me track him down. He had, uh, something last night…" Casey said, fumbling with his phone, feeling like he was under attack. If Kelly was holed up with Erin, he would beat his ass himself, he thought.

"It's all comin' together," the captain said with a smirk, "hot date, too hot to make it to work today."

"You don't know him," Matt said. "That's not Kelly. He's been busting his ass doing every damn thing you've asked…"

"Casey!" Chief cut him off. "In my office."

Boden slammed his door. "Please tell me Dallas is not right!"

"He's not right, Chief. Kelly is fighting for his job. He wouldn't just not show up. I don't get it." The blonde lieutenant texted Erin, maybe something went down last night.

He was a no-show.

The quick reply caused the color to drain from Casey's face.

Something did go down. Something that said his friend was in trouble.

* * *

The knock on Kelly's door caught him off guard. Deep in thought about a detective he was getting a second chance with, he was pushing down nervous energy as he got ready … splashing on a bit of cologne, deciding to shave at the last minute.

His face was in full lather when he opened his door.

Nicole.

"Kelly, I am so sorry to bother you," she rattled off excitedly. "My car is dead. Thought I remembered you lived here. You think you can take a quick peek? Maybe give me a ride home?"

Just happened to be in the neighborhood? Kelly could smell bullshit a mile away, but didn't have the heart to call her on it. He grabbed a towel to wipe off the shaving cream.

"Headin' out to meet someone, so no time. Want me to call you a cab?" he knew she was perfectly capable, but she was here for a reason. He thought he'd been pretty damn clear before.

"Would you?" Nicole answered, trying to play the damsel in distress, a role she would normally spit at.

Kelly got off his phone, "On its way." He looked at the time, glad he wouldn't be late for his dinner with Erin even with this Nicole intrusion.

The blonde tried to fill the quiet with tales about work, about getting a promotion, about finding a new man. That scent of BS filling Kelly's place.

"You want some water?" he asked, hoping a drink would make her shut up for a minute. Where the hell was that cab?

Nicole nodded as Kelly jumped up to get two glasses. He was thinking about his dinner date, second guessing his shirt, his jeans. Send me a signal, Shay, he thought smiling. It was gonna be a good night.

As Kelly started to turn, his head exploded in pain, an out of nowhere, teeth rattling hurt. As if in slow motion, he watched as his legs fell out from under him and he landed with a sickening thud on the floor. A blinding white flashed in front of his eyes as his hands shakily moved up to his head. He felt an oozing hot liquid rushing from his skull and had the fleeting thought he might be bleeding. The white slowly darkened to gray and then finally black.

This was gonna be a good night, thought Nicole smiling.

* * *

 **Well, you knew it was coming. But the night of his big date with Erin? I know. I know.**


	3. The Torment

**Thanks again for the kind reviews, so much fun to read. Just a warning - Nicole's in full crazy mode. Enjoy.**

* * *

"Shit," Kelly called out, shaking his head from side to side and instantly regretting it. The ice water pouring down his face felt more like acid … burning with the freezing cold it held, but it did serve its purpose. It woke him up.

Gasping for air, he took a deep breath, shaking the water out of his eyes, hit again with a white blinding pain.

That bitch hit me, he thought, becoming more aware of his surroundings, definitely not his place. His first thoughts weren't of the blonde standing a few feet away, not of the chair he was bound to, not about the darkened, concrete floored room he was sitting in. His first thoughts were of Erin. She was waiting for him, and he wasn't showing up. He was letting her down. Again.

"Aaaahhh!" he called out, thrashing in the chair with such force he almost came crashing to the floor. "Aaaahhh!" he tried again, pulling at the ties holding his wrists together, trapping his legs to the feet of the chair. The struggle did little to loosen anything. Its only effect making Kelly's head spin and his stomach turn. He was nauseous to the point of retching all over the front of himself. He tried to lean forward but a tie around his chest kept him pressed against the metal of the chair.

A dark silhouette came into focus as Kelly emptied the final contents of his stomach.

Nicole.

* * *

"I need you to do something!" Casey yelled, slamming his fists down on Voight's desk. "You owe me! I'm collectin' now!" The fury in the fireman's eyes was unmistakable. He knew something was wrong, very wrong, and everyone was acting like he was crazy.

"Sit down lieutenant," Voight rasped out. He didn't have time for this. His whole team was tracking down a possible terrorist, and he was playing grab ass with a fireman. But he did owe the man. That much was true.

"Severide missed a date with Erin last night," Casey tried to calm his voice down. "He wouldn't have missed that… no way. He was lookin' forward to it more than, more than anything he's done in months."

"So he's never stood up a woman before?" Voight asked, eyebrows lifted skeptically.

Matt ignored the question, both men knowing the answer. "He didn't show up for work today. No call, nothing. He's been under fire from the brass. There is no way he just doesn't come in. He's not at his place, his car is there…"

The pieces were beginning to sound suspicious to the sergeant. He had to admit something had the smell of foul play.

He took out his small notepad to take notes. "Okay, start from the beginning," he commanded.

* * *

"Superman," Nicole said sweetly, circling the fireman like a predator zeroing in on some tasty prey. "You hurt your head. Now, play nice, and I'll make it feel better." She drew a few inches closer waiting for some reaction.

Kelly had been gagged after his calls for help frustrated his captor.

"No one's going to hear you, sweetie," she purred, smiling brightly. "But you're giving me a goddamn headache!" she screamed, the smile vanishing, her hand smacking Kelly across the face. She put two pieces of duct tape across his mouth, backhanding his face again when he protested with a shake of his head.

Nicole held a small towel in her hand, reaching it toward Kelly's bleeding head. She gingerly pressed it against the gash, but he jerked away, moving the chair a little.

"Have it your way," Nicole said her face now an expressionless mask. "Bleed all night, that's your choice. I'll see you tomorrow."

The blonde turned, throwing down the towel and grabbing the water bottle she'd left on a table. She turned off a small generator that was apparently lighting the room, abandoning Kelly in total darkness, freezing cold, head throbbing, and no way out.

* * *

Day two and Casey's concerns became everyone's concerns. Dallas even stopped his bitching about the fireman, settling into the stark realization that something had happened.

PD was involved, Intelligence taking the lead. Erin disappointed with her boss.

"Why didn't you say something yesterday, Hank?" she asked sitting across from the man she considered family. Puzzle pieces were falling into place, creating a picture in that Lindsay brain, a picture she wasn't happy with.

No I'm sorry call, no excuses, not even a text. It made sense now. Kelly couldn't call. Erin wished her rush to judgement had been correct and he had blown her off, he was happily screwing that damn blonde, that he was alive and well.

"Erin, we didn't know shit yesterday. Had Casey in here worried, but without much," Voight explained. Her hazel eyes said to go on. She wasn't letting him off the hook that easily. "I'm sorry," he graveled out. "Just got you back." If Hank had it his way, Erin would still be in the dark. She didn't need one more worry. She didn't need to lose one more person.

"Okay. Whaddya got?" the brunette detective asked, digging in, pushing down the fear in her heart, ignoring the dryness in her mouth, swallowing that growing lump in her throat. "Tell me everything Hank."

After relaying all the Matt details, Voight unloaded his theories.

"It could be random, a chance encounter. I'm not leanin' that way, his car untouched, doesn't make sense. We'd have found somethin' by now."

Erin knew the something meant a body. She nodded her head in agreement.

"I'm thinkin' someone who knows Severide, has a bone to pick. Casey mentioned Hadley, I got Antonio lookin' at that angle. I thought of Keeler." Hank shuffled through his notes as Erin gave him a puzzled look. "We know Vince ain't comin' back but maybe somethin' to do with that clan. The Keeler boys are a nasty bunch."

"That it?" asked Erin, closing her notepad. "Which avenue you want me to investigate?"

"One more thing," Voight added slowly, beating around the bush in a non-Voight way, "was also thinkin' it could be somethin' more personal. Casey mentioned a couple of women, a new one… I don't know, it's a longshot. Women don't typically do this sorta thing."

"I'll take that angle," Erin said unfazed, and ready to get her hands dirty. She entered the bullpen, calling on Ruzek to join her.

"I need charming Adam today. Feel like sweet talking a blonde?" Erin asked.

"When am I not up for sweet talkin' a blonde?" he laughed, flexing a muscle, lifting his shirt sleeve a little.

"Put those away," Erin reprimanded, "You're gonna need that mouth of yours only."

"I've been told it's a talented mouth. On more than one occasion. Kim just said last weekend…" Ruzek babbled on.

"Can you shut that talented mouth now and just listen. This is what I need you to do…" Erin was speeding off to Nicole's law firm feeling like this was a lead worth following. It may be _the_ lead, she thought hopefully.

* * *

Nicole's eyes didn't leave the fireman. She looked at him so closely, he felt like he was under a microscope. As promised, she returned the next morning, dressed more for a workout session than a whatever session she had planned.

The blonde was sweaty, wearing a Nike tank top and running shorts, her hair in a tight ponytail. She downed a bottle of water while staring at Kelly. He felt saliva leaking from the duct tape loosening on his mouth at the sight of that bottle.

"I have another one of these for you, Superman," Nicole said seductively, holding up the second water. "If you're good," she tempted.

Kelly shook his head yes, the slight movement making the blinding pain in his skull worsen. He knew he'd passed out a couple of times through the night, but was that really sleep? It was more a drifting from consciousness to unconsciousness, every once in awhile having a lucid thought. He'd spent most of the night frantically pulling at the ties that anchored him to the chair.

The fireman knew if he was escaping it would have to be now, things would likely get worse before any cavalry came to the rescue. He'd figured out from the generator that he was in some closed down building, looked like a storage unit, maybe warehouse. A place like that took time to find. Time he sensed he did not have.

He also knew he needed water, and he needed his head looked at.

"You going to be a good boy?" Nicole asked, picking up the towel from the night before.

Kelly shook his head yes again. The blonde moved closer, sending a shiver down Severide's spine. His whole body tightened with the move. Fear gripped him for an instant, a quick second that he pushed away when he told himself he was just cold. So damn cold. He still had on his outfit chosen for an Erin date - light blue, once crisp, button up shirt and dark jeans. The shirt now splattered with blood from his head, crusted against his skin once the ice water she dumped on him dried.

Nicole ripped the tape off his mouth, plopping down hard on his lap, throwing her lips against his. She went at his unmoving mouth like a snake devouring a mouse whole. The blonde didn't seem to notice or care than her prey wasn't responding.

She stopped as suddenly as she started, unscrewing the cap off the water bottle, holding it to Kelly's now moving lips.

Severide had never tasted water so good. He gulped one long drink after another, thankful his captor let it flow.

"That was good, wasn't it?" Nicole asked. "See, when you're a good boy, good things come. Now, let me look at your head." She pressed the towel against the gaping wound that seemed to show there was no limit to the amount of blood it could produce. A spigot of dripping red, weakening the fireman with every drop it released.

"Aaah!" Kelly called out, the pain threatening to knock him back to unconsciousness. He willed himself to stay alert. This was it.

He dropped his head to the side, closing his eyes, moving the pain to the part of his brain that said he could go on. Whenever he thought he had nothing left, that part of his brain would push him further.

"Hey, Superman, open your eyes," Nicole was back on his lap, touching the side of his cheek. "Shit, guess you're more man than super," she mumbled, placing her thumb on a Kelly eyelid, trying to pry it open.

She didn't see it coming. Kelly's head flew back then forward like an attacking pendulum. It's target? The blonde's forehead.

Severide landed a mighty headbutt, knocking Nicole out, her body sailing back before falling on the cold, hard concrete.

Kelly couldn't move, he was sure his head had actually exploded, that right now, his skull and all its contents lay scattered in a million little pieces. He could feel his eyes roll back, farther and farther back, no matter how sternly he commanded them to straighten up. He went back into that little part of his brain, calling on every bit of strength to work on those ties. That recess of his brain didn't answer this time. He literally had nothing left.

* * *

Reynolds and Reynolds didn't yield the blonde lawyer, but it offered up a picture of the woman that convinced Erin this was their girl. She'd been fired over a week ago after the firm decided her "attitude" didn't fit in with their company values. Lawyer after lawyer replayed stories of a woman who would send flowers to a co-worker one day, and pick a fight the next.

"We never knew who was showing up. Caring Nicole or Crazy Nicole," said a senior partner. Her mood swings proved to be too much and they had to let her go.

"How did she react to the firing?" Erin asked, taking notes.

"Surprisingly, good. Actually great. She thanked us, said this was perfect timing. She mentioned something about working on her personal life, her relationship with her man. Heck, we didn't even know she had a man."

The severance package they sent her off with only escalated Erin's worry. Money changed everything, made things that much easier for a woman in hiding, for a woman hiding a victim.

The address the law firm had for the blonde revealed an empty, high rise apartment, neighbors knowing nothing about the aloof lawyer.

"Hank, I've got a bad feeling about this. I hope I'm wrong, but my gut's saying this Nicole Meyer has Kelly," Erin's voice broke, knowing every second was time ticking on the meter of a fireman's life.

The Severide apartment reeked of bleach, almost bowling over Antonio and Jay. A UV light detected blood that someone had gone to extreme measures to cover up.

It wasn't much to go on, but Voight had confidence in his girl. If she believed the blonde was involved, he believed.

"I'll call the team, meet back at 21, and see what we've got." Voight was about to hang up. He added, "Hey, Erin. We'll find this bitch."

"Yeah, we will," she agreed. Erin prayed it would be in time.

* * *

"You're up!" Nicole said, her row of perfectly straight teeth forming into more of a snarl than smile.

Kelly opened and closed his eyes over and over, trying to focus, to see where that voice was coming from.

"Mmm," he groaned, his head feeling like it had been split in two. He didn't take much comfort in the fact it hadn't exploded all over the floor. Somehow that sounded preferable

"Aw, is your head hurting?" Nicole asked in a baby voice, her own head showcasing a huge red knot on her forehead. It looked like a foreign object, a growth given to her by the fireman. She was sitting across from Kelly in a metal folding chair identical to his.

"You really shouldn't have done that, Superman. That was d-u-m-b. Dumb. So, so dumb," her lip curled up into an evil grin, as she shakily stood up walking toward the fireman, water bottle in one hand, baseball bat in the other. She took a long drink, tossing the bottle to the side, and firmly gripping the bat with both hands.

The delicate ground Kelly was on was about to be smashed to pieces.

Nicole came at the fireman swinging, her fury materializing through each blow. Her first one connecting with the side of his arm, knocking Kelly sideways on the concrete. He tried to cry out, but the duct tape on his mouth only enabled a grunting sound to escape. His arms and shoulders were screaming at him, one smashed by the bat, the other crashing against the floor.

Kelly's legs were an easy target, still tied to the chair, dangling above him as he lay immobile on his side. He tried to push the pain away, but Nicole kept at it, like a machine devoid of all humanity. Her eyes were wild with a madness that had Kelly doubting he would make it out of there alive.

Thoughts of a rescue, of PD rushing in to save him, faded away like a distant memory, one he tried to hold onto but slipped through his fingers.

Inhale,

Exhale,

Just breathe. Stay alive. He shook his head, fighting the pull to succumb to the darkness, to give in and let go. Kelly had the nagging feeling that if he did, he would never come back. He finally closed his eyes, finding his own rescue in the black silence that greeted him.

Nicole quit swinging when Kelly's body went completely slack, looking lifeless, no sign of fight or pain left. What did I do, she thought pushing the bat into the fireman's torso, looking for some movement, some indication he was alive.

What have I done, she thought again.

Superman was broken.

* * *

 **How is Erin ever going to find him? More soon. Your thoughts?**


	4. The Darkness

**Thank you again for the kind words and reviews. I've been at the beach (gotta love Texas weather) so plenty of writing time. :) To those worried about the "Need" series, it's coming. I needed a break from the happy Linseride family, so I decided to break a certain fireman. Haha! Enjoy!**

* * *

Kelly knew he was awake before his eyes would open. His body was crying at him to keep them closed, to push back to the darkness, but the will to survive overpowered any thoughts of giving up.

He cracked his eyes, a slit of blurry vision greeting him.

"Aaahh," he moaned, looking up at the ceiling, blinking his eyes again and again.

Kelly turned his head to the side, regretting the small motion. "Aaaahh." He closed his lips tightly not liking the weak sound coming from them.

He was free. The chair was nowhere in sight; his ties cut off. He was lying on some kind of mattress. Was it an air mattress? The fireman tried to move, roll off the the cushiony thing, get up and walk straight out of that hell.

Kelly let out a long groan, sounding like an animal desperately caught in a trap. The slight movement over on one shoulder almost turned out the lights for Severide. He breathed slowly, trying to catch his breath, the realization of just how hurt he was settling in. What did that bitch do to me, he thought. Daggers were digging into his skull, that was nothing new, but now his arms and shoulders were hurting like … like someone had taken a baseball bat to his body. It was all coming back to him now.

He tried sliding his left leg off the mattress, maybe his legs would take him out of there. If I can just get outside, he thought, trying to inch his injured limb to the concrete. He glanced down, disgusted at the sight of his own body. He looked like he'd been through a war zone. He had.

Wrapping his hands around the blonde's neck came to mind, but he could barely move them, finally gingerly touching his head, his cheeks, his dry, cracked lips. How long had he been there? A week? Two?

The slam of the door, snapped Kelly's head to the noise, his leg still dangling useless over the side.

Nicole walked in smiling broadly, holding a small box and sporting new bangs. Her disheveled appearance resembled none of the slick, beautiful lawyer Kelly'd encountered when they first met. Her hair looked greasy, and she still had on the workout clothes she wore how many days earlier?

"Hi Superman!" she said, plopping down the box next to the mattress. She pulled out a large jug of water, body wash, a wash cloth, and a small bottle of what looked like rubbing alcohol.

"You like my new hair?" Nicole asked as if she were on a date. "It covers that little mishap we had yesterday," she giggled.

Yesterday? Kelly's brain had a hard time wrapping around the fact that he'd only been with this crazy woman for three days. Three days. His heart sunk as he wondered if he could survive many more.

Nicole was in a chatty mood, a manic state of nonstop talking about her day of shopping in disguise, of course. She threw his leg haphazardly back on the mattress taking no notice of the yelp he let out.

"We don't have to worry about being bothered. Just the two of us, Superman. Forever." Nicole went to work wetting the washcloth with water, scrubbing Kelly's face, disregarding his obvious pain. "Stay still!" she commanded, slapping his face.

She tried to get the fireman to talk about that brunette he was with at Molly's. "Is she your girlfriend?" Nicole asked. "I mean _was_ she your girlfriend?" she laughed.

Kelly remained silent other than the groans he let out when his gritted teeth failed him. When it finally became apparent that hell would freeze over before Kelly would say anything about Erin, Nicole quit talking.

The blabbering of the blonde was torture, but the fireman was feeling worse than her words now. Nicole decided her broken and battered toy needed to be cleaned.

* * *

Erin knew it had been too easy, all of it. Finding Nicole's place of work, piece of cake. A quick scan of the management class enrollment, and Mouse had zeroed in on Reynolds and Reynolds. Her address came soon after from the law firm.

The blonde had gone off the grid three days ago, no credit card transactions, no sightings. "Nada," Mouse said, adding, "but I'll get something. I always do."

A couple of hours went by, the team trying not to hover over their tech nerd. Then a new Mouse bite came in, a charge for a storage unit.

"This is it," Voight rasped out. "Let's go get your fireman," he said confidently to Erin. Hank had told the guys over and over, "Severide's got three, four days tops. In cases like this, the victim rarely makes it a week." He'd pushed everyone to the limit, the look in Erin's eyes pushing all the guys to spend every waking moment on the case.

"Seems too easy, Hank," Erin commented not correcting his _your fireman_ comment. Hopping into his car, she was afraid to get her hopes up. She knew that in her life hoping for the best often yielded the worst.

"Hey, enough of that. This bitch is done," Voight said, the certainty in his voice steadying his girl.

Erin silently prayed that the fireman wasn't the one who was done.

* * *

Stay calm, thought Kelly. But inside parts of him were being chipped away, little by little. Humiliated, in only his boxers, Severide fully grasped the crazy he was dealing with and it scared him.

It had been just three days, but he doubted how much longer he could hang on, how much longer before the blonde snapped and did something he wouldn't live through.

He was clean, all the bits of dried blood scrubbed away, but a roadmap of blue remained on Kelly's body, a testament to the damage a baseball bat could do. He wondered what was actually broken and what was just bruised. He knew he was in bad shape.

He tried to comfort his nerves with the knowledge people were looking for him. Casey, the guys at 51, they had to know he was missing by now. PD was involved, maybe Erin.

God, Erin. The date. Erin waiting for him, thinking he stood her up. She had to know, he thought, had to realize he _couldn't_ come. Now he was doing the waiting, hoping that door would burst open, hoping a rescue was just minutes away.

He looked at the woman lying next to him, but he was unable to move, to escape her grasp. She'd given him water, having to hold his head up. I can't even hold the the damn bottle, he'd thought, his hands shaking violently every time he tried to use them. His shoulders were on fire, easy targets for the wildly swinging blonde. His legs were completely immobile, and unrecognizable … those can't be my legs, he thought looking down at the swollen limbs. His head had cleared somewhat, the stabbing pain subsiding into a dull ache that said concussion, not brain bleed or something more serious.

Nicole rolled over, resting an arm heavily on the fireman's chest. "Go to sleep, Kelly," she purred in his ear, feeling his uneven breaths. "It's been a hard day. Even Superman needs rest," she added, propping her head in her hand. She stared at his cheek, running a single finger along his growing stubble, thankful she hadn't marred his face. He was still beautiful, she thought, not looking at his body below.

She kissed his neck, running her lips up to his lips, sinking her tongue into his mouth. Kelly's every instinct was to bite down, but he didn't think he'd survive the night if he did. Nicole rolled on top of Severide, her hands holding his head in place. He struggled to catch his breath, fighting with the weight on his injured chest.

The blonde flipped off of her prey, listening for his breath to return. "We'll have plenty of time for this," she said softly. "Plenty of time."

Kelly knew he didn't have plenty of time. He was running out of sand, those grains slipping away with each second.

* * *

Erin felt like she was atop a tightrope with her emotions balancing on the taut line, but with one more swing, they would fall, shattering into a million little pieces. They had to find Kelly. This storage unit had to be it.

She was outside the building with Voight telling her to stay put.

"Like hell I will!" she yelled in the older man's face, the resolute look in her's said it was worthless to argue.

"Okay. Let's head in!" Voight barked, leading the way, a brunette detective on his heels.

They reached Nicole's unit silently, Hank signalling to stop outside the sliding metal door. There was no padlock on the outside, a good sign. A sign that the woman was in there, right now, with her victim.

Erin's heart was racing threatening to jump out of her chest. He was inside, she thought. He had to be. Kelly, we are coming, please hold on, she urged.

* * *

Nicole awoke jumping straight up, grabbing her bat, and racing to the door. She heard a shuffling outside; Kelly had heard it too, praying the blonde would stay in her slumber. She'd been dozing off and on, all her waking moments practically smothering the fireman. All the attention was killing him. She'd plant little kisses all over his face, disregarding his ineffective hands, trying to push her away. She'd jump on top of him, gyrating those hips, trying to get him going.

Please, please, be the PD, Kelly thought as Nicole unlocked the door. It had to be, he told himself. His eyes could barely see through the shadows as someone shoved the blonde back.

Yes, his mind screamed out. Yes, his rescue had come.

* * *

Voight pulled up the sliding door with such force it crashed upward so quickly it almost slammed back down. The team rushed into the darkened unit, lights flashing around, revealing …

nothing.

The room was mostly empty, a white box against the wall.

"Nooo!" Erin screamed throwing down her flashlight. "No, Hank, no!" she cried out.

Voight's arms wrapped around his girl, running a hand down the back of her hair. "Sshhh, sshhh," he half whispered. "We'll find him."

"Hey, come here," Antonio called, standing before the white box. It was a large chest freezer. His hands went to lift the suctioned-closed lid.

Erin broke free of Hank, rushing to Dawson. He threw open the lid revealing a body inside.

Erin dropped to her knees.

* * *

Nicole pushed back at the man, wielding her bat in a menacing way that had the intruder second guessing his initial aggressive move.

"This is my place! Don't come back unless you want this up your ass!" she screamed, waving the bat wildly.

Kelly closed his eyes tightly, his hands trying to form fists. He needed it to be the PD. He needed it to be Casey, Boden and the guys at the door. He needed Erin to come rushing in, tell him it would be alright.

"Just some homeless guy looking to squat. Think I took care of him. This place is a dump," she said looking around the abandoned storage unit. "Once you're up and getting around, we'll get a better place. I'll go back to work…" and Nicole was back in a manic state of talking, revealing more of her hopes and dreams of the future. A future she envisioned with her man - Kelly. With her Superman who was leaving her a little more with each word.

* * *

The body inside the freezer was a white male, 30-something, blonde, thin ... definitely not Kelly Severide.

Antonio and Voight knelt down next to Erin who was frantically wiping tears from her cheeks. What the hell is wrong with me, she thought. She was acting like Kelly was her boyfriend, or husband. They'd share time, sure. But that was so long ago. Yes, they'd shared more time at Molly's. But their date to start things again had never happened and now she was acting like her whole world would be over if they didn't get to him in time. She was acting like he was important to her, like he was the love of her life.

* * *

"Wake up," the blonde said sweetly. "Wake up, Superman," she said again, louder.

Kelly's eyes fluttered a bit before half opening. He'd slept through most of day four, but Nicole wanted her man awake. Now.

"That's a good boy," she encouraged, holding his head up, offering some water.

His mouth felt like sandpaper and his tongue twice its normal size. Kelly couldn't swallow the liquid he so desperately wanted and needed. The big gulps he'd taken just a day before wouldn't happen, his throat not cooperating. Nicole kept pouring, choking the man she'd almost killed.

Kelly coughed out the water, spraying it all over the blonde's face.

"We'll try again later," she said wiping her cheeks with the tank top she was still wearing. "I brought you some food," she added, pulling a doughnut from a bag. Two days earlier and Kelly would've swallowed the pastry whole. Now, he couldn't even chew the small bite she tore off for him.

"You're burning up," she noticed touching Kelly's forehead.

Severide couldn't respond. He didn't move when she poured water on his head to cool it. Didn't protest when she kissed his cheek.

Kelly was somewhere else, the pain, the fear … all of it fading away as those final grains of sand fell away.

Superman was in darkness.

* * *

 **Keep the faith. The next chapter is called The Light, so there's that. 51 is also getting involved. Leave me your thoughts.**


	5. The Light

**Thanks to all who review and are enjoying this little fic. Hope you like the latest!**

* * *

Too damn easy. Erin knew it had been too damn easy. The storage unit rented out in Nicole's name … no way was the woman that dumb. Unfortunately, she was razor sharp. She wouldn't keep Kelly out in the open like that. Erin felt the fireman was close but somewhere darker, somewhere untraceable. Day five and she had to admit the chances of finding a victim alive after almost a week were slim. She held on to the fact that Kelly was no victim. No way. He was hanging on. Fighting. She could feel it.

* * *

Casey couldn't believe the words out of Hank Voight's mouth, "No Severide… body in a freezer … no new leads."

"You said you found him! You personally guaranteed that he would be at that unit," Matt said more to himself than the cop. All the guys at 51 expected Severide back. This was supposed to be the end not a dead end.

"We're on it!" Voight boomed. "We're closing in," he said also more to himself than the fireman.

"You know what?" Casey asked, matching Hank's tone. "We got this! We'll get Kelly back." He was out of 21, passing Erin in the bullpen, not meeting her eyes. He didn't have time for this crap. A total waste of time. The only thing PD was good for? Getting people in trouble more than getting them out.

"Hey, Matt," called Erin, following him outside.

"What?" Casey snapped, turning to face the brunette, anger flashing in his blue eyes.

Erin couldn't speak. Words were inadequate. She could see all of her own concern in the face of the fireman. She brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and all the facade of toughness was gone. Her shaky hand went to her watery eyes, and Matt's rage faded away. His arms instinctively wrapping around the detective. The past was forgotten and the focus was solely on getting their friend back. Getting Kelly back home where he belonged.

* * *

"Why won't you wake up, Superman?" Nicole pouted, her hair beyond greasy, her tank top beyond rank.

She jabbed again at Kelly's arm with the IV … "Dammit!"

Third time was not a charm. She'd watched the YouTube video over and over. "Looked so damn easy," she mumbled to herself, wiping some of the blood streaming down the fireman's arm.

Five days ago and it would have been easy. Five days ago and Kelly wasn't dehydrated. Five days ago his veins hadn't constricted, submarining well below the skin. Five days ago and Severide was getting ready for a date with a beautiful detective.

This was a very different day.

"Yes!" exclaimed Nicole as the IV finally plunged into a vein, pumping in much needed fluids instead of drawing more blood.

About forty minutes later, Kelly's eyes fluttered a bit, showing the first signs of life in over 24 hours.

"You're back," the blonde said, smiling sweetly.

Severide closed his eyes tightly longing to be enveloped back in the darkness. He tried to swallow … impossible. Nicole rattled on about saving his life, about their future together, about them being soul mates. Kelly thought that if he just kept her out, pushed her voice away, tightened his eyes shut, it might make it all go away. Her. The pain. That too … impossible.

* * *

The men at 51 were done sittin' on their hands, as Herrmann put it. Casey figured a good, old fashioned foot search wouldn't hurt. They might find the needle in the haystack, and it sure as hell would make the guys feel better. Him feel better. They'd be doing rather than twiddling their thumbs.

Otis mapped out the two shortest, most likely routes from Nicole's apartment to her work. Matt theorized she was still in town, her town, the only town she knew based on Mouse's background check. He also assumed wherever she had Kelly had to be someplace she'd seen at least a couple of times.

They started canvassing the two areas that day, talking to anyone who would talk to them, shaking hands and kissing babies like they were running for office. The men knew they were running out of time, their friend was slipping away. They had to find him. Now.

As promised, Erin kept Kelly's family on top of any new leads.

"The body in the freezer was an ex-boyfriend. Lawyer at her last firm. He went missing and no one suspected her. Not one damn person," the detective said. "But it's a lead. We'll take it." Erin was clutching to hope as it fled from everyone else's eyes. Voight was looking at her with sympathy. Halstead had given up two days ago. She was not surrendering to the dark thoughts edging into her thoughts. Those thoughts that made sleep impossible. Kelly was a tough son of a bitch. Hell, she reasoned, he'd survived the death of Shay. She was finding him alive.

Casey was silent also realizing the discovery held some bad news - Nicole was capable of murder. She'd done this before. And worst of all, she was good at it, smart as all hell.

"Hey," Matt said quickly before hanging up, "what's the name of her old firm?"

* * *

Kelly's will wouldn't let him sink back into the black; it forced him to the surface. Being awake was overrated, he thought, feeling the damage his body sustained at the hands of this crazy woman. Escape. He had to escape. He looked at his arm, disgusted with the job Nurse Nicole had done. Blood had streamed out with each stick, leaving a mess that symbolized all that went on over the past five days.

He lifted his arm a little, to see if it would move and the effort made his head swim. A fierce pain ripped at his body with the slightest movement, washing over him, taking his breath away. He tried not to stir at all, letting the pain settle into a dull burn.

"That's it, Superman. Keep those eyes open. Those beautiful eyes," Nicole said, hovering over the fireman. She laid down next to him, pressing her body against his injured leg, running a heavy hand along his bruised torso. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as his shoulders tightened. Everything hurt. Kelly knew this pain wasn't something he'd come back from in a shift or two. He knew his body was broken. He knew there would be no escape. He knew he was in a waiting game for some kind of a rescue. A role he wasn't familiar with.

He closed his eyes hoping Nicole would go away.

"Aw, Kelly, open your eyes again. Come out and play."

The way she said 'play' sent a shiver throughout the fireman's body. He kept his eyes sealed, trying not to feel the kisses she was planting on his cheek, her hand running across his chest. He tried not to panic, to settle his breathing. He listened for some rattling of the door, for some sign that help was coming. That rescue he'd been imagining for five days. The rescue he began thinking might never arrive. What if no one ever came?

* * *

"Change of plans, Otis," Casey barked out, once the guys gathered back at his place to regroup. There'd been no hits, no vacant buildings, abandoned places where a man could be hidden away for days.

"Give us a couple of routes from Nicole's apartment to her old firm Peterson, Gibson & Allen," Matt instructed. He was amazed at how quickly Brian worked, wondering if he'd somehow missed his calling.

"Got one," Otis said printing out one route. "Hang on…" he added looking for another. He'd realized the firm was within walking distance from Nicole's place and decided to route that out as an afterthought. "Okay, another one's printing."

Casey, Herrmann, Capp, and Tony grabbed the walking route, piling into Christopher's minivan. The remaining guys took the other possibility. Cruz and Otis would stay behind in case Erin called with any other information.

"I got a good feelin' about this," Herrmann said the second they were all in his van.

"Hell, the last time you said that you were about to go into business with some perv. I think limos were involved," Matt groaned.

"No, I think it had something to do with some snake oil you were sellin' that cured cancer or cured stupidity…" Capp piped in.

"Well, it sure as hell didn't work if you're any indication. The stupidity in this house…" grumbled Christopher as the sped off to Nicole's apartment.

"This is it," Matt said growing serious. "All the bullshit aside, I think this is it."

The guys became silent, hoping he was right. The hope was tinged with fear. A fear of what they would find.

They piled out, all four men taking in the walking directions. They hit the pavement heading for what was her work, passing other complexes, a few businesses, ending up in front of a storage unit. The old building stared right at them, almost slapping them in the face.

The dilapidated structure was out of business, boarded up, a cracked parking lot looking like a minefield.

"Well, hell," Herrmann said scratching his head.

"Let's go!" Casey called charging ahead. Christopher grabbed his shoulder from behind, almost bringing him down.

"No hold up!" he said. "We gotta call PD. We don't know what we're dealing with. What if this crazy's got a gun on Severide? What if she sees us comin?"

"Kelly may not have the time it'll take for them to get here!" Matt argued, wrenching his shoulder free.

"Already called 'em," Tony said. "They'll be here in five."

"This ain't our territory, Casey. I wanna go in too. But we gotta wait, buddy," Herrmann reasoned.

Every hero fiber in Matt said get the hell in there, go save his friend. Every neuron was screaming to stay put. The brain won out in the end.

As promised, IU showed up within five minutes, no sirens, just a silent brigade of men and one woman ready for a rescue.

"This is it," Erin whispered to Voight as she rushed out of Hank's car, parked to the side of the building.

"You did good," Hank said to Casey. "Now let's go get a fireman," he said turning to Erin.

"We're goin' in too," Matt said to both, no hesitation in his voice. They didn't bother arguing.

"Stay back a ways, guys. We don't want her tipped off," Erin said, hand on her gun, leading the way. We're coming Kelly. Please hang on, she begged. She felt he was in there. Alive, maybe hanging on by a thread. Hang on to that thread, she pleaded.

* * *

Nicole was on top of Kelly, out of her exercise outfit, in only bra and panties.

He had nothing left. He was done fighting. The IV saved his life, buying him more time, but for what? For this?

Somehow he knew he wasn't making it through day six. The weight on him made breathing almost impossible, the hurt driving down inside him. He knew this was wrong, all wrong.

She stroked his head and Kelly wished for the first time that she would just let him die.

* * *

Erin fumbled for her flashlight, turning it on with one hand, the other had a firm grip of her gun. The light illuminated so much dust in the air the beam appeared almost solid. A corner of the floor was flooded with groundwater that had seeped in through the foundation. Beer cans and cigarette butts littered the cement floor. Erin shuddered at the vague smell of urine. Kelly was in this God forsaken place. No, no, no, her mind screamed.

Erin took a few tentative steps aiming the flashlight into the long row of units facing the cops. How the hell were they going to find Kelly? She kept walking, feeling alone, the press of her team giving her a silent encouragement.

She saw something move, a flash from the corner. Erin jerked her flashlight to the left in time to see the long tail of a huge rat skitter past a broken liquor bottle. This was hell. She was descending into hell, and Kelly was in here.

She aimed her beam down and saw footprints in the dust on the floor. Yes, a distinct set of prints. Her heart rate increased as she followed the trail, the trail that she prayed would lead her to a fireman.

The footprints disappeared at the door of unit A39. Kelly was in there. She tentatively moved forward, afraid, frightened at what she might find. She slowly opened the door, feeling Voight's hand on her shoulder, a reminder that a whole team was behind her. Erin didn't know why, but she didn't protest when he shifted around her, taking the lead.

They turned off their flashlights as Hank slowly crept forward. A flash of light greeted them, the unit lit up despite the building having no electricity. Erin let the breath she'd been holding escape in a gasp. Her brain caught up with what she was seeing. Blood. There was blood.

Erin skirted past Hank just as Nicole came rushing forward letting out some primal scream that sounded raw and animalistic. Bat raised, the blonde's lip was curled upward in a snarl that matched the noise coming from her mouth. Erin didn't blink as she raised her gun, leveling it with Nicole's fast approaching head.

The blonde stopped dead in her tracks, lowering the bat to her side, a strange smile spreading across her face. She'd hear that little gasp. Now, seeing that gun had her ravaged brain searching for a way out. A way to live another day. She couldn't leave her Superman.

Erin kept walking, heading for Nicole, gun pointed at the woman's head. She stopped only when the barrel was pressed coldly against the blonde's forehead.

Voight had his hand on Erin's shoulder again. "You sure you wanna do this?" he asked, the gravel in his voice as soft as she'd ever heard it. "If you do, we got your back."

Erin's hand began to shake, only intensifying the smile on Nicole's face. The detective shook her head, trying to sink back into the resolve that this woman needed to be gone. Permanently.

"We can live with this," Voight continued. "But can you?"

Erin felt her finger squeeze slightly. A thin layer of sweat on Nicole's upper lip was the only indication that the blonde felt the cold metal pushing against her forehead. Erin remained perfectly still.

Someone coughed and every hair on her body lifted. Kelly.

She ran in search of the origin of the sound. Kelly.

Erin dropped to her knees, crawling on the mattress, her heart breaking as she drew near. Kelly.

She bit her lower lip, fighting back impatient tears that would not be stopped.

"Oh Kelly," she whispered, her hand going to his neck. The rise and fall of his chest said he was alive, but she needed to feel that pulse, feel his heart still beating.

Kelly's lips were moving but no sound came out. Erin stroked his head, her hand stalling on a dried clump of blood and hair. She leaned in closer.

Severide tried to grasp what was happening. A rescue had come. Erin had come. He was safe. He moved his fingers a little in the hand that was now cupping his.

He could hear a commotion barreling into the room and tensed up. People were on him, yelling things, prodding and poking. He tried to push them off, but they wouldn't stop. Suddenly he was moving, moving so quickly, rolling somewhere. He was outside, the sun shifting in his eyes, Erin's husky whisper in his ear. His hand was back in hers and it felt so right.

Kelly closed his eyes again, another kind of drowsy hitting him. Before he let himself fade into the blackness once again, he cracked open his eyes and stole one more glance at the brunette positioned beside him. Her lips were moving, eyes contradicting her small smile as tears flowed from them.

The fireman tried to smile. He was in the light. She was his light.

* * *

 **You knew it wouldn't be some quick thing, right? What did you think?**


	6. The Recovery

**Thank you friends for the amazing reviews. My faithful readers, you mean so much! My newbies, welcome! I'm really enjoying writing this one. Hope you like it!**

* * *

Kelly floated in and out of consciousness for five days. It seemed only right after sinking into a Nicole created hell for as many days.

At nightfall on the fifth day, he woke up, becoming truly alert for the first time.

"Son," Benny said rushing to Kelly's side, searching for some indication of recognition in his boy's eyes. His heart lifted as he saw some.

"D-dad," Kelly's raspy, dry, gone too long without liquids voice croaked out.

It was all the elder Severide needed to hear to know his son would be okay.

Kelly's injuries at the hand of obsessed blonde only punctuated the crazy that existed in her brain. The doctors talked of a broken leg, two dislocated shoulders, a mess of a ribcage with punctured lung, a grade 3 concussion, and most worrisome, severe dehydration that they said was just this side of death. His blood pressure dipped dangerously low while his temperature was on the other end of the teeter totter spiking dangerously high.

Fluids brought his organ function back to near normal. The doctors telling a worried room of waiting firemen that it looked like he'd pull through.

"He's not gonna be running marathons anytime soon, but if I were a betting man, I'd say two months, and he'll be back on at least light duty," Will Halstead reported, looking up from Kelly's chart.

It was all the men at 51 needed to hear to know their brother would be okay.

Erin was back at work. She'd done her job she told herself. Case closed. Over.

Kelly was safe, and he was surrounded by _his_ people. She wasn't really one of _his_ people. Hell, they hadn't even gone on their date.

She had to admit, it felt weird not working on the Kelly Severide case, sitting at her desk at 21, going through paperwork. Not thinking about Kelly, worrying about Kelly every waking, and if she were being truthful sleeping, minute of every day.

Only she did. She wondered how he was faring, hopefully healing. Antonio only knew so much. The pull of the hospital drew her to Kelly the second day he was awake. Erin's heart was beating out of her chest as she neared his room, still in ICU. Why the hell wasn't I here when he woke up, she berated herself growing closer to the beeping and buzzing coming from his room.

Benny was by his side, asleep in a chair, looking like he'd aged ten years.

But it was Kelly that took her breath away. His arms were in slings, one leg in a cast that stretched up under the sheet that partially covered it, the other bandaged up like a cocoon. His sleeping face looked untouched, but a deep line furrowed between his brows said his rest wasn't peaceful. She ran a soft finger along his cheek down to his chin, back up across his stubble that was really more of a beard, and across his brow line. She smoothed at the line between his eyebrows wanting it to go away.

She watched him try to toss and turn in a fitful sleep for over an hour. Benny awoke, excusing himself for a cup of coffee.

When Kelly finally opened his eyes, a beautiful detective greeted him with a dimpled smile and hazel eyes touched with concern. He smiled, the line not quite as deep.

"You still pissed I stood you up?" Kelly asked, his voice sounding stronger than the story his body told.

Erin looked at him quizzically.

"Took you long enough to get here," he said, answering her silent question. He'd wondered about the disappearing act.

She laughed lightly, "Yeah, I'm sorry about that, work's been…"

Kelly cut her off. "I get a raincheck right? You wouldn't believe what happened…"

Erin cut him off, "Oh, I would believe. I think I was there." Her dimples grew deeper as her smile became wider, her eyes not sure if they wanted to cry.

"I don't think I thanked you for that," Kelly breathed out the last part, exhaustion taking over as he lost his fight to keep his eyes open. "Thank you beautiful," he said cracking one eye open.

It was all Erin needed to hear to know Kelly would be okay.

* * *

Nicole's photograph graced the front page of the Chicago Tribune, and she wasn't happy with her new notoriety.

"They are portraying me in a negative light!" she screamed at her third attorney in seven days. "I will NOT be written about like this!" Nicole demanded that her new schmuck of a lawyer get her name out of the papers. That if they insisted on running this nonsense, they show a "clearer" picture of the love that she shared with the firemen. That he was a willing partner. That they were trying to begin a quiet life together.

When the lawyer mentioned that Kelly Severide was telling a very different story from the hospital, he was excused and she was on to lawyer #4.

Hank Voight walked into the blonde's cell not sure what the hell he was doing there. He knew he wanted to scare the woman, make her pay for what she'd done, but how? Crazy bitch hurt his girl. No, not directly but through the fireman she kidnapped and tried to play horror house with. If Severide hadn't survived … he didn't even want to think about that possibility.

"Miss Meyer," Hank rasped out, wanting to Voight-slap the smug look off the blonde's face.

"Officer," Nicole greeted, smiling brightly.

"Sergeant," Voight corrected.

"What can I do for you, _Sergeant_ ," the woman spat out, daggers shooting from her eyes. This man ruined it all … her perfect plan with her Superman, a happily ever after.

"Wanted to see how they were treating you," Voight said, his own eyes saying there was something more to his visit.

"Fine, fine. Could be better. Maybe you can arrange for a conjugal visit with Kelly. I miss my man," she whined, her smile growing wider with the thought of the fireman.

Voight moved so quickly, Nicole didn't have the time to flinch. Hank's hand was around the blonde's throat, squeezing so tightly, letting no air in or out.

Nicole tried to make a sound, scream, something. Not a peep could be heard. As her airway constricted, she had the fleeting thought that this may be it. She closed her eyes, welcoming the dark. Her last thought of Kelly, those blue eyes … eyes that could see through to her soul.

And then she was back. Voight's hand released its vice-like grip on her throat, air now coursing into her lungs.

"Listen up, bitch. I'm gonna say this one time and one time only. You are going to take whatever deal they give you. Plead guilty, whatever they offer, you're gonna take it. This ain't goin' to trial." It became suddenly crystal clear to the cop what his visit's purpose was. Stop Erin from suffering anymore pain. She wasn't going to face the possibility of testifying and retelling all the details of the Severide ordeal. No, this was going away. One way or another.

Nicole had other ideas. Her hoarse laughter wheezed out, gaining momentum with each breath. Voight's fists balled at his side, every ounce of self-control working in overdrive. He wanted her beyond the cage. The docks would be too soft an end for this woman.

"Oh, silly. I'm not pleading anything but innocent. This is all some horrendous misunderstanding," Nicole said so sweetly, Voight almost believed her.

He smiled, silently backing away from the woman, afraid of what he might do. Not here, not now. This was not the time.

"See you soon," he rasped out, the same joyless smile on his face. His hand made the shape of a gun, pointing directly at the gun. "Real soon," he said pretending to fire. With that he left, whistling on his way out.

Nicole joined in with the whistling, knowing the tune but not able to name the song. She just went along whistling and then humming, the words escaping her as the footsteps of the cop faded away.

* * *

Erin visited Kelly every day after work, each encounter showing an ever stronger fireman. He was moved from ICU to a regular room with Erin questioning the decision to the dismay of the nurses.

"This seems a little quick," she commented, not agreeing that it was the best thing for his recovery.

"It is quick and that's a good thing," the head nurse insisted. "He's recovering, let him do it at his own pace."

Erin worried that Kelly's "own pace" would come with consequences. He needed rest, relaxation, some damn TLC not being pushed into a regular room with nurses barely checking on him.

She was still grumbling about it on her fourth day visiting as she strolled in bearing a gift. Kelly'd asked for a burger from Fatso's. Erin opted on a grilled chicken sandwich courtesy of Gabby.

"Please tell me that's my burger," Severide asked, pushing himself up a little in his bed. His mouth began watering at the thought of something that didn't come mushed up on a tray.

"Uh, something better," Erin teased waving the covered plate around. "Gabby grilled you something delicious."

The crestfallen look on Kelly's face almost had Erin back in her car heading to the greasy burger joint.

"This is better for you," she said sticking to her guns. "And you can take me there when you get out of here."

"Got some good news about that today," Kelly said, his eyes brightening, waiting all day to talk to Erin.

"Are you gonna tell me or do I have to guess?" the beautiful brunette asked, her eyes opening wider in anticipation.

"Gettin' outta here tomorrow," he said smiling, lifting his head a little off his pillow. "Or the day after."

Erin's eyes went from expectant to suspicious. "Really?" she commented doubtfully.

"Yeah, really," he stated matter-of-factly, not appreciating the skeptical tone in her voice.

"Will said that?" Erin pressed, scanning his body with her eyes. She knew he'd been rolled around in a wheelchair but crutches were out, his shoulders still too sore. How would he get around? It seemed too soon, much too soon.

"Did someone use my name in vain?" Will Halstead asked, bustling into Kelly's room, chart in hand. "Erin, how you been?" he asked, going in for a quick side hug.

"Good, Will. Kelly said he's leaving tomorrow?" Erin quizzed getting straight to the point, brushing past pleasantries.

"Actually, I said by the end of the week. But, yeah, he's making incredible progress," Will answered, looking at his patient wolf down some kind of sandwich. "Looks like your appetite's increasing," he joked, handing Kelly a napkin from the dispenser by the sink.

"Dawson can cook. You say all you want about her, but that girl can cook," the fireman replied, wiping his mouth.

"Give me a couple of minutes with this one. I'll explain what end of the week means, then he's all yours," Will said, noticing the light blush forming on the detective's face. He wondered what was going on. None of my business, he thought. Jay's crappy mood, nope, none of it his business.

When Erin returned she had two orange juices in her hands, and a big smile on her face. Two nurses assured her that Will would not release Kelly unless he was 100 percent ready. They told her about a couple of agencies that offered 24-hour care, just in case. Erin entered the room with another plan in mind.

"Tell me you smuggled in a beer?" Kelly teased, eyeballing the juices.

Erin laughed shaking her head no. "Soon," she promised, her plan coming together, reminding herself to pick up Kelly's favorite brand on the way home.

* * *

Lawyer #6 turned out to be just the guy for Nicole. He was a shady little man who took moral code as a mild suggestion, ethics just some class he took in law school. He guaranteed that the "alleged" kidnapper would escape conviction, coaching her on all the nuances of portraying the true victim. He laid out a plan of focusing on Kelly's womanizing ways, his checkered past that even included an almost case of sexual harassment. He knew that Nicole would clean up nicely and her acting skills were a thing of beauty. She took to coaching so well. This time the fireman wouldn't know what hit him.

* * *

"Erin," Kelly said quietly, looking so serious. "I appreciate you comin' around, I do."

The detective felt her stomach tightening, this was not going the way she expected. Yes, it was soon. Yes, they weren't really anything to each other. Only they were.

"But you ain't playin' nursemaid to me. I'm hirin' someone and when I'm good as new we're finally goin' on that date." I'm breaking her damn heart, he thought. I don't even have it, but I'm breakin' it. Kelly wasn't backing down. If they had any shot at all, it couldn't start this way. He couldn't roll into her place, have her fawning all over his sorry ass, giving him the full invalid treatment. Hell no. That was no way to start a relationship, something new.

"I don't see why we can't hire someone to help you when I'm at work," Erin suggested, gnawing at her bottom lip, leaning in closer.

Just do it quick, Kelly's mind ordered. "No, Erin. I wanna pick you up for our date. I wanna drive. I'm even gonna pay," he joked, hoping to get a small smile on the shocked face staring at him. He realized it took so much for her to even offer, to open up her home, her heart to a man she hadn't been with in over a year. He also realized they were doomed if they started this way. Fresh start meant FRESH start, not having someone help him get to the bathroom. No way in hell she was doin' that.

Rejection. Erin's brain tried to tell her it was this hero's pride getting in the way of her plan, but her heart was screaming rejection. She had to get out of there now. Am I even breathing, she wondered, getting up, concocting some lame excuse about having to be at 21 at the "butt crack of dawn." What the hell? Did I just say "butt crack" she wondered, wanting to slap herself.

Practically running to the elevator, Erin pushed back the tears welling in her eyes. She was not _that_ girl. She would not cry over a damn man. She pushed floor one, over and over, taking her frustrations out on that button.

She was the one who didn't know what hit her.

* * *

 **So don't hate me because there is no Linseride love yet. It's coming and the wait will make it that much sweeter. Have a great week everyone! I'll update soon, my friends.**


	7. The Healing

**Thank you for the reviews! They really keep us fanfic writers going and motivated. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Kelly pushed Erin so far away it felt like he was back in the cabin in the woods, running from Shay's death. This time he didn't know what he was running from.

He didn't want to be away from the beautiful detective. He hated himself for the distance he created, the Severide chasm that grew wider with each minute they spent apart.

He longed to see her face every day. Every damn day. He needed it.

But he couldn't do it.

He rolled into his place, newly modified to accommodate the wheelchair, and could not bring the detective into all this.

All this included his rehab, his endless bottles of prescription pills, and his sessions with some shrink. But all this also included his frustrations, his anger as he slammed his fist into a wall, his waking up in a cold sweat fear gripping him around the chest.

He was physically recovering, the wheelchair thrown to the side in favor of crutches after a week of intense PT. His home healthcare worker sent on her way. He was getting around, pushing himself to the limit, maybe beyond on some days.

"You're making incredible progress," Anna, his physical therapist, enthused at every session.

Kelly could feel that. His shoulders were healed. His leg looked like it was something human now. X-rays showed his broken leg was a little less broken. Yes, his ribs hurt. He wondered if there would come a time when they wouldn't hurt. Maybe.

So what was the problem? Why didn't he hobble over to the beautiful detective's place and take her out? He asked himself that question ten times a day, every time he took his phone out to punch in her name. And then he'd change his mind.

Erin sent a few "just checking on you" texts, trying to honor his request for some "time." She didn't get it. Time for what? For them to grow apart again. What the hell? They were apart. She was frustrated, patience not her strongest point. She told herself again that she did not wait for any man. Not even Kelly.

But there she was … waiting.

Kelly felt like he was waiting too. He just didn't know what for.

He went to his sessions with Dr. Harris, filling the time with talk about PT, about Nicole's upcoming trial, and about his desire to get back to 51. He didn't mention the impossibility of sleep. The waking up in a cold sweat. The way he left the TV on all night. He could feel the doc studying his face, knew the guy suspected there was more. But Kelly revealed nothing.

He wasn't himself. Nowhere near himself. Kelly felt like he could see who he had been. He was standing right there, but every time he reached out to grasp his former self, the bastard would move just out of his grasp. He couldn't start something with Erin. She wouldn't be dating Kelly Severide. This was some stranger even to Kelly himself.

* * *

Erin knocked nervously on the door, seriously contemplating a cut and run move. Her feet were weighted down by a deep desire to see the fireman.

Kelly opened the door, his body propped up on one crutch. The sight of the detective holding a six pack of beer in one hand and a greasy brown bag in the other brought a huge grin to his face.

"Erin," he said opening the door wider. All the words he wanted to add …he missed her, thought about her all the time, needed her. He settled on one word and let it hang between them. Erin.

"Look what I brought," she teased, trying to keep the mood light, at least for now. Erin waved the bag in the air before opening it, pulling out two huge burgers.

"I've been dreaming about those things," Kelly said, grabbing a handful of napkins, leading the brunette to his couch.

"Hmmm, dreaming about burgers, huh?" Erin asked, her flirty tone drawing a mischievous grin from the fireman. She looked at him intently. For a second Kelly felt like he was with Dr. Harris. Erin savored the moment with the fireman, wanting nothing more than to be there. Right there with him.

"I'm glad you came," he commented honestly, feeling his mood lift at the sight of her. He launched into his burger, finishing it off in a couple of minutes. He attacked the fries next.

"Feel like I should've bought two of those for you," laughed Erin, now sitting right next to the man who worried her more than he should. She looked up at him, taking in his face, the disarray of his longer than normal hair … it was beautiful she decided.

"This is perfect," he commented. He meant it. The not wanting to see the gorgeous woman was replaced with a satisfaction as if an itch had been scratched. This was better than any therapy, he thought giving Erin a crooked grin.

"It is that," Erin agreed, taking another bite of burger as she took in that grin. This was perfect, she thought happy with her decision to drop by.

They didn't say much as Kelly finished his fries and Erin barely made a dent in her burger.

"I've missed you," Erin admitted, opening up a beer, passing it to the fireman. She studied his face again.

"I've missed you," Kelly said, tapping Erin's beer with his own. There was no need to pretend they hadn't drifted apart. Again. The undeniable rightness of being next to this woman was a force that even the stubborn firefighter couldn't ignore as much as his demons were fighting him on it.

Yes, this was the best decision. As Kelly's arm draped around the detective's shoulder, Erin thought, best decision, maybe ever.

* * *

The autopsy on Nicole's first victim painted a gruesome picture that highlighted how lucky Kelly had been to escape the woman's clutches alive. Her first obsession, a poor blondie named Brad, had enjoyed some Nicole sexy time for a full month before she decided to lock him up like a caged bird. His parents had met the young woman, holding high hopes that this might be _the_ girl for their son. She was the picture of perfection, the loving girlfriend to their golden boy. They never suspected she was responsible for their son's disappearance.

The medical examiner detailed the torturous month the young man had endured before finally succumbing to organ failure. Nicole's habit of not watering her animals enough apparently began with Brad.

"Erin isn't seein' any of this. Not one page and sure as hell not one picture," Voight's command was understood and followed. He hadn't liked the way she retreated back into herself a little. What was wrong with these young people nowadays, he thought. Rescued that damn fireman and now he was playin' hard to get? Hank couldn't figure it out.

One thing he _could_ figure out was that Nicole Meyer would not step one foot inside a courtroom. He had to make sure of that. But how? Olinsky had tried to bribe her lawyer, but the slimy man had stars in his eyes. He knew a win would propel him into the upper echelon of Chicago defense attorneys who demanded wads of money, wore fancy suits, and had the media at their beck and call. He also hoped a certain blonde would feel indebted to him, and he spent most nights fantasizing about that indebtedness.

Another way. Had to be another way. Erin deserved some happiness. His girl who trouble seemed to chase after was gettin' a little peace in her life. Severide would pull his head out, Nicole would rot in a jail cell after a guilty plea, and he would live to see Erin smile again. Really smile.

* * *

When Kelly reached over to brush a stray crumb from Erin's lip, the brunette leaned in giving him all the signal he needed. A bit of old Kelly rose to the occasion, leaning in to meet her lips.

Erin felt him push in gently, his hand caressing the back of her head, his fingers twirling the silky strands of hair into a tangled mess.

Leaning in harder, Erin took off her shirt in one graceful swoop. She lightly ran a hand down Kelly's back, letting her fingers trace the bottom of his T-shirt. She teased his skin with her fingertips, his body tightening with what she thought was excitement.

Erin slid both hands up the length of his back, her own back arching in anticipation. The closeness she craved was being satisfied. The heat, the smell of him pulled her in closer. She was dizzy.

As she glided her hands down lower, just beneath the waist of his jeans, Erin felt the fireman pull back slightly.

Kelly flinched.

Erin yanked back, pulling away … "Did I hurt you? Oh, God, Kelly…" Erin was reaching for her shirt, trying to pull it back over her head, it not cooperating in the same way it did when she flung it off.

"No, no," Kelly insisted, scooting all the way to the other end of the couch, his hand wiping across his face. He was disgusted with himself but his expression could easily be misread as disgust for the woman opposite him on the couch.

* * *

Casey knew the clamming up self-defense mechanism well. He'd used it with everyone after his close call with Nesbitt, refusing to talk about the ordeal with Dawson, Kelly … no one. He could definitely recognize it in another. In his friend.

"What's got your panties in a wad today?" he asked brusquely, deciding tough love might be the route to go. Letting Sev travel at his own pace wasn't working.

"Nothin' just leave it," the grumpy fireman mumbled, slumping lower in the truck seat.

Matt was taking Kelly to a therapy session, physical or mental, he wasn't sure which. Severide remained tight lipped about both.

"Talk to me. You still not sleeping?" Casey tried to untie the Severide knot sitting stiffly in the passenger seat.

"I said to leave it. Leave it!" Kelly yelled, instantly regretting his harsh tone, hating himself a little more for attacking his friend.

"Have it your way," Matt replied, flipping on the radio, driving in silence to the clinic.

For now, he thought.

Casey was waiting for Kelly, hanging back in his truck as requested. The usual routine was he'd drop his friend off, then another man from 51 would pick him up. He didn't want any "damn cheerleaders" watching him and "my sorry ass" run through exercises he insisted were taken from the nearest nursing home. Matt hadn't listened at first, hoping to encourage his friend. Kelly's stubbornness pushed his buddy right out the door. He realized that was becoming his specialty.

But now Matt had other plans after the session. Ones that Severide would have no say in.

Kelly limped out of the clinic leaning heavily on his crutches, sweat dripping from his face. The towel he had in one hand and bottle of water in the other didn't make things any easier. Casey remained in his truck, offering no help, no opening of the passenger door. He'd made that mistake before.

"How'd it go?" Matt asked as his friend managed to get in.

"Same old, same old," Kelly said vaguely.

Casey took off, heading in the direction of Severide's place at first, then veering off in another direction.

"Where we goin?" Kelly asked, wanting to get home, needing a shower.

"Quick pit stop. You mind?"

Kelly grunted in response.

They pulled up to Molly's and Severide knew he'd been set-up. Christopher and Cindy Herrmann were running down the steps of the small bar to greet their friend. Cruz and all the guys on Squad rushed out to usher him in. He thought about planting himself in the seat, folding his arms, and refusing to get out.

The look in Cindy's eyes pulled him from the truck, drew out a smile, and made him take Cruz's offer to help him up the steps. He nodded as Joe and Tony offered their shoulders to make the journey a little smoother, Casey following behind with the crutches.

One drink, then he'd leave. Take a damn cab if he had to.

Kelly plopped in a chair doing a poor job of hiding his disdain.

"So, did Casey have to kidnap you to get you here?" asked Mouch, instantly regretting his words. "Er, I mean drag you in kicking and screaming." Keep digging yourself in deeper, he thought. "I'll just shut up now," he said, patting Severide softly on the back.

Kelly laughed, shaking his head at Mouch's faux pas but also feeling like this was where he should be. The guys around him, bullshitting … it felt right. His self-imposed exile from the guys seemed stupid as hell at the moment. His self-imposed exile from a certain detective … the same.

"Now you shuttin' up's about the brightest idea you've had in ten years," Herrmann piped in at a retreating Mouch.

"Make that fifteen," Chief Boden boomed, his voice encompassing the bar. He'd just arrived, a little late with some last minute paperwork to take care of back at the house.

"Kelly, good to see you," he said, extending his hand.

"Chief," Severide answered, a part of him still smarting from his perceived Dallas betrayal. His perceived Boden betrayal.

"Glad you're up and about," Boden said, smiling broadly. "We've got a lot to celebrate."

Kelly figured he was talking about his recovery, nodding his head in agreement.

"Captain Patterson is taking his talents elsewhere. Effective immediately." Boden's announcement was met with cheers, whoops, and hollers from the men.

The night was looking up.

* * *

Kelly was done about an hour into the celebration.

Casey had telescopic vision on his friend, noticing the hand running across the face in a tell-tale sign that is was time to go. Severide shut his eyes tightly rubbing at his forehead in between visitors to his table. The night had just begun, but a fireman's body had its fill. Yes, thought Casey, time is up.

"Don't wanna be a joykill, but someone needs his beauty sleep," Matt said grabbing Kelly's crutches.

Cruz and Tony lent their shoulders again, Kelly accepting all the help he could get. He even let Matt open his door and prop his legs inside.

Riding in silence, Kelly slid his phone across his hand, his fingers touching at the screen. He sent the text, rapidly punching in the message and hitting send. No changing of the mind, no retrieving the words… they'd floated away landing when a pair of brown eyes read them.

Kelly sent Casey on his way. "Don't need you to tuck me in," he joked, saying he was going to turn in.

"That detour turned out okay," he added as Matt walked to the door.

"Yeah, it did," Casey agreed, taking the "thank you" that was implied. He'd gone back and forth with the Molly plans, finally agreeing with Herrmann that Kelly needed to relinquish the island he put himself on.

Matt saw Erin drive up as he was getting in his truck. He smiled and nodded as they made eye contact under the bright of the street lamp. No wonder he was so ready for me to leave…

Yes, detours could turn out okay.

* * *

"Hey, didn't know if you were comin," Kelly couldn't help but smile seeing the dimples and hazel eyes greeting him at his door. "Sorry about that text, uh, couldn't talk…" he motioned his head to where Matt's truck had been parked.

"Glad to hear from you. Didn't know if I was comin' either. Till I drove over… and here I am," Erin had no reason to say yes, but she did the second she got in her car. Erin felt her muscles contract, her shoulders and neck forming a tight mass. It didn't compare to the knot forming in her stomach. She exhaled deeply as Kelly's smile began settling her nerves.

Erin kept a body's space between her and the fireman as they slumped on the couch to watch a movie. Fifteen minutes in and Kelly's head began playing the bobbing game, longing for some sleep.

"Hey, Kel," Erin whispered trying to rouse the fireman. "Kelly, let's get you to bed." She nudged his arm trying to choose a spot that wasn't marred by a crazy blonde.

"Mmmmm," he groaned moving around a little. "Come with me…" he muttered, rubbing his face with his hand, surprised he'd fallen asleep on the couch.

"What?" she asked taken aback. Oh, she wanted to say yes, to say hell yes. But a part of her demanded she take it slow. The flinch from the last time she saw him said he wasn't ready for this.

"Just lay with me, for a little bit," Kelly answered, surprised he uttered those words, vulnerability not something he was good at. Except with her.

Erin followed him, his hand reaching back to grasp hers soothingly. She stayed fully clothed as Kelly stripped off his jeans, his T-shirt.

The brunette's eyes scanned his body, once black and blue all over, now healing. She wondered how long the scars inside would take.

Kelly slid under the covers, suddenly self-conscious. Never minding stares before, the new man he was couldn't take Erin's looks. New man, he thought … more like broken man. He knew he must look like hell. What was he doing exposing her to this? To all of this?

Pushing those thoughts away, he opened the covers, inviting her to settle in next to him.

Erin moved in taking Kelly into her arms. She held him tight, stroking his head softly. Stolen glances told her he was nodding off, his eyes getting drowsy, his breathing more rhythmic. She tried not to stir, to hold fast for dear life, to not disturb this delicate balance. She knew he hadn't been sleeping; one look at him told he that.

The warmth of his body, the steady inhale exhale, the sweet smell that said it was Kelly Severide … all of it called Erin into her own deep slumber. She'd relented to the drowsy pull, letting herself fall into a dreamless slumber.

"Sh – shay," Kelly mumbled, his eyes twitching. "Shay," he said louder, his hands jerking a little.

"No! Noo!" he yelled out, bolting upright in bed, throwing Erin to the side as his fist swung at an unseen enemy in the air.

The panic in Kelly's face, his body drenched with sweat, the look of utter confusion… it was as if he didn't recognize the woman now by his side. His breathing was ragged as he looked desperately around the room.

Erin ran a hand down his slippery back… "You're okay. It's okay. Kelly, look at me."

The fireman came back from that sleep induced hell he'd been sucked into.

"I'm sorry, Erin. So sorry," he said, running his hand across his face, reaching for the sheet to wipe his forehead.

Erin rushed to the bathroom, rinsing a washcloth under cool water. She kneeled in front of him as he sat on the edge of the bed, his head looking at the wood floors beneath him.

"Kelly, you got nothing to be sorry for," she ran the cloth across his forehead, his face, and down his neck.

"I ain't right," Kelly admitted.

"I ain't either," Erin laughed. "Let's be not right together. Okay?"

"Yeah," he answered, looking her in the eyes now.

After some ice water and a thorough splashing of the face, Kelly was ready to give sleep another try. He settled in next to Erin with the detective trying to wrap her arms around him once again.

Kelly gently pushed them over, placing his arms around her protectively, the strength he once had still deep within. He had her cocooned in his grip, safe and sound.

Superman finally slept through the night.

* * *

 **Road to a real recovery and some sweet Linseride coming. Also, some Nicole resolution up next. Thanks for reading and leaving me your thoughts.**


	8. The Retribution

**Thank you for the kind words! Your reviews are really motivating me, so appreciative of all the positivity sent my way. Have an awesome weekend, and I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The case against Nicole Meyer was heating up with District Attorney Adam Wheeler personally handling the case. The ugliness had hit the media, giving Kelly unwanted press and unwanted attention. Wheeler was a young gun serving his first term, replacing the old guard with a new badass attitude tempered with a compassion not often found in the political arena of Chicago.

Erin had spoken with him about the case, surprised he even took a meeting with her.

"To be honest, Mr. Wheeler, Lieutenant Severide has been through so much. It was one of the most disturbing cases I've seen. If there's any way he won't have to testify…" Erin began, the concern evident.

"First off, it's Adam. We're going to be working together for years to come," D.A. Wheeler was charmed the second her hazel eyes met his. "Second, I'll see what I can do." He assured the detective he'd do everything he could, but made no promises. The legal system was his first love, but he also knew she could be a fickle bitch.

"Thanks, Adam," Erin said, grateful for the compassion. "Appreciate it." The beautiful detective shook his hand before leaving, a smile peeking at her lips.

"You're welcome," Wheeler answered, shaking his head as she walked out. He was charmed but also aware this was a woman off the market. Those hazel eyes had told much.

"Damn," he uttered under his breath. "Lucky damn fireman," he mumbled, thumbing through the pictures of Kelly taken during the rescue. He shook his head again at the irony of his words.

* * *

Kelly's recovery was full speed ahead, gaining momentum with the addition of some sleep, some good sleep. With Erin next to him every night, the nightmares had lessened, the darkness giving way to light. He told Dr. Harris he wouldn't be needing his services any longer, under the protest of a gorgeous brunette.

"Kelly, I love being here with you, but I think you should keep the sessions…" she tried. Despite all his progress, Erin couldn't help but feel he wasn't whole, would never be whole until he faced his demons. She didn't like the way he locked his mouth shut anytime she brought up Nicole or his kidnapping. He wouldn't say one word about what he'd been through.

"Nah," he argued. "Got everything I need right here." He was in high spirits, smiling from ear to ear as he limped into his place, no cast, no crutches.

The orthopedic doctor had been pleased with the MRI and the fireman's extraordinary recovery. When he first saw the mangled leg, the doc thought walking normally was out. Now, he'd be surprised if this man wasn't back on full duty in another month.

"And now that you ain't stuck with gimpy, I wanna take you out. That date you _owe_ me. I'm collectin' on it," Kelly teased, wrapping his arms around her waist as they stood in the kitchen. This had become their ritual. The detective would head over around 7:00, later if a case trapped her at 21. They'd eat dinner, then head to bed. It wasn't living together, she told herself. Hell, she didn't even have a drawer. But deep down she knew she had something better … Kelly's heart.

Erin smiled, a deep, rising from her soul smile that read contentment. She didn't think she'd ever felt such happiness with another person. Voight said it was about damn time. Ruzek and Dawson said it was from coming off the emotional rollercoaster of the whole ordeal. Jay just kept his mouth shut. If pressed, he'd have to admit that he agreed with Adam and Antonio, had to be some trauma thing. He also knew there was no competing with someone in Kelly's condition. The news of a Severide recovery was good all around, he thought.

"I owe you?" Erin asked, a hoarse laugh echoing in the small kitchen. "I owe you?" she repeated looking up into his blue eyes.

Kelly's laughter rang out as he encircled his arms around her tighter. "I take it back," he said, laughing harder at Erin's scrunched up nose, looking like she just smelled something foul.

Things just might turn out okay, thought Erin. Just this once. It all might come together.

"What does someone have to do to get a drawer in this place?" she asked, changing the topic, her face still screwed up in a scowl.

* * *

Lawyer #6, it turns out, was not "the one" much to Nicole's dismay. His political aspirations were trumped by some Olinsky old school threats and intimidation. When it became clear the attorney was slime personified, Alvin enlisted Mouse's help in digging up a little trail that the slime had left. #6 had a nasty coke problem, an indiscretion that had become a full blown addiction. Every dime Nicole fed him went to supply his need. When Olinsky threatened to go to the Bar Association, #6 kissed Nicole on the cheek while eyeballing those lips, and skipped out of the jail with apologies and true regret. The one that got away, he thought bitterly rubbing his nose, already needing another bump.

Voight walked into Nicole's cell as the slime slid out, looking straight into the attorney's jumpy eyes. 6 put his head down, frightened of the dead calm he witnessed. Maybe that piece of ass was more trouble than it was worth. Good decision, good decision his rattled brain called out.

Hank sauntered in, surprised at what he saw. Nicole had cleaned up nicely the last time he paid a visit. This was such a dramatic contrast, he thought he might be in the wrong cell. The blonde's hair lay in greasy, matted clumps, her fingernails chewed viciously past the quick, all the cuticles left bloody in some sort of self-imposed torture. Her eyes were rimmed with so much blackish blue, it looked as if someone had punched her, leaving rings of black as a souvenir.

Voight couldn't help but smile, the joyless formation of his lips saying this might be it. He saw the crack he'd been waiting for. The fault line that he would break open into a huge gap, hopefully one big enough for the blonde to fall into. Forever.

"Wanted to see if you've reconsidered makin' a deal," Hank asked, as Nicole eyed him suspiciously.

"The only deal I will consider is one where Kelly and I sail into the sunset together," Nicole answered sweetly. "But thanks for checking."

Voight balled up his fists, wanting to send the blonde sailing off the docks. "Yeah, no problem." He smiled, brain working overtime.

Hank walked out, leaving Nicole and the guard wondering why he'd even bothered showing up, such a short visit. He whistled that familiar tune again, this time fading away so quickly, Nicole didn't have a chance to hum along.

* * *

"District Attorney Wheeler," Kelly greeted extending his hand, as the DA came from behind his desk.

"Adam," the man answered, shaking Kelly's hand vigorously, thinking this didn't look like the mess he saw from the crime scene photos. "Good to meet you," he added, wishing they'd never had to meet at all.

"I take it you're gonna need me at the trial," Kelly said, wanting to get in and out of there as quick as possible. Anything would be preferable to this, the treadmill, PT, hell, even a session with Dr. Harris.

"Unfortunately, I am," Wheeler admitted, regretfully. "Miss Meyer has a new attorney, and she feels an insanity defense is the way to go." He didn't add that the myriad of defense lawyers before offered up the same advice. It was only now that the blonde agreed.

"Well, not to piss in your cornflakes, but she is crazy," Kelly said smiling lightly. It was the closest he'd come to addressing what she'd done to him, yet it was still miles from acknowledging the torture he'd endured.

"We can agree on that, but," the DA explained, "we don't think her brand of crazy falls under the legal definition of insane. The planning, the premeditation, it's all within the realm of sanity in the court of law." Adam took a deep breath. "Basically, we want to see her pay."

Kelly wanted to see her pay. Well, sometimes he thought he wanted her to pay. But then late at night, with Erin laying so close pressed up next to him, her hot breath puffing out on his chest, he thought, what the hell difference did it make? It wasn't gonna make any of it go away. It wasn't gonna erase his memory banks in some glorious way where all the ugly would be scrubbed clean.

"I really don't give a shit if she pays," the fireman admitted. "She can rot in prison, she can rot in the looney bin. Does it matter?" he asked, speaking more honestly with this man than his friends, than Erin.

"The problem with Chicago-Read is that she'll likely get out one day. If you have any ideas of Nicole Meyer wasting away in some mental asylum, you can kiss those fantasies away. She _will_ get out and," he added cryptically, "she will do this again. Maybe not to you but definitely to another unsuspecting victim."

"I ain't got any fantasies about Nicole rotting away," Kelly couldn't believe he'd said her name, the word feeling dirty against his lips. "I don't want to think about her, don't really care where she ends up. I just want her gone." The fireman's mind was racing… get out … do this again. No way in hell he could let that happen. Erin. Erin would never be safe.

"No, she can't do this again," Kelly said softly. "I'll do whatever you want," he offered, knowing the want would include testifying, going over each and every detail of what he'd been through. Reliving it.

"I'm truly sorry, Lieutenant," Wheeler said, meaning every word. "if there were any other way…" he let his words break off. "But it was just you and her in that room. You are the only one who can put her away for good."

Kelly nodded his head. He'd have to do it. For the next unsuspecting man who might fall under her spell. For Erin. Maybe even for himself.

"You can count on me," Severide said, looking at the DA, a resoluteness in his eyes.

"Good man," Wheeler enthused. "And tell that detective of yours I am sorry I couldn't fulfill my promise, the no-testifying just can't happen in this one."

Kelly walked out of the office feeling like he'd just been beaten up again, a heavy weight back on his shoulders. He rubbed his ribs wondering if they were really hurting or if it wasn't some ghostlike pain back to tease him.

It was much to take in. The trial of his kidnapper was finally on the books. He would have to lay eyes on the woman again. He would have to go through every minute of the ordeal, the flashes that still awoke him some nights would come alive in a courtroom.

He also couldn't help but feel it would be different. This time instead of facing the insane blonde alone he had someone by his side. Erin had gone to see the DA? She'd never mentioned it. Always lookin' out for me, he thought, trying to protect me.

He knew Erin would be there every step, every minute, every second. Yes, this time would be different.

* * *

Kelly walked down the rows of cells, ignoring the cat calls, the low whistles. He wiped his hands down the front of his pants, wiping the sweat off on his jeans. He moved his neck from side to side as if entering the boxing ring. Inhale. Exhale.

"Nicole," he said as the guard let him in.

* * *

"Why the hell did you not let me finish that bitch?!" Erin hissed at Hank Voight as the man sat calmly behind his desk.

"Sit down, Erin," he commanded.

She stood, arms folded, her mouth running on about the trial, Kelly, the crazy blonde, the double crossing DA … on and on.

Hank sat in silence. When she finally ran out of words, he spoke. "Erin, please sit down," he said gently.

This time she listened, dropping into one of his chairs, her hands rushing to her face, tears threatening to spoil her rage.

"I'm sorry," she finally whispered. "I'm so frustrated… with all of it," she admitted, wiping a stray tear.

"I know. I get it. Shoulda finished off that bitch myself," Hank said, his voice laced with regret. If he never saw Erin like this again, it would be too soon.

"Why didn't I do it? What the hell was I thinking?" Erin pleaded, wanting the older man to set it right. So many what ifs running through her mind.

Voight got up, settling into the the seat next to his girl. He took her hand in his. Those brown eyes breaking his heart. "That's not you, Erin. You couldn't have lived with it."

"I could have tried," she said sadly, thinking about Kelly's meetings with D.A. Wheeler, the way he woke up last night in a cold sweat.

Hank took her in a tight hug, feeling the wet tears soak the collar of his shirt.

* * *

"Superman! My Superman!" Nicole enthused rushing forward to hug Kelly. The guard stationed outside made a move to come in, waved off by the visitor. He knew he'd lose his job if anyone found out about this off the books visit. But he also knew Hank Voight was a man you wanted to keep happy.

Kelly held up both hands as a warning, his eyes narrowed at the sight of the blonde. She was almost unrecognizable, her outward appearance matching the turmoil on the inside.

"I knew you couldn't stay away," she gushed, trying to embrace him again.

This time his hands had to touch the woman to keep her away, pushing back her shoulders roughly.

All the planned things Kelly ran through his head to say to Nicole escaped him. The words seemed irrelevant, unnecessary … not worth the trouble. Dr. Harris had suggested the visit, saying that seeing her before the trial would help.

"Feel free to let her have it," the doc offered, surprised when the fireman had called to set up an appointment. "Getting it all out can help, be a release of sorts."

For once, the Severide stubbornness to do things his own way relinquished to someone else. He did realize that letting Erin in was the only thing that got him through some of his darkest moments, the only thing that got him to the point he was at now.

But he felt like he was slipping, spiraling downward as the trial grew near.

He was nervous about testifying, about talking on the stand, about seeing her again.

And worse than that, he felt fear. Kelly Severide did not feel fear. Until he did.

"I knew you would come!" Nicole gushed, keeping her distance now, trying to smooth out her hair. "I've missed you. So, so much!" Again, she went at the fireman.

"Stay back," Kelly warned, his eyes flashing with anger. "This ain't a reunion. This is me tellin' you that you didn't break me." He drew in a deep breath, "I'm here. Lookin' a helluva lot better than you." Another breath. "I'm with a girl who knows how to love, who loves me." Breathe. "And I love her."

Nicole's mouth was wide open, her eyes saucers, the shock rendering her mute. She simply could not accept those words. She WOULD NOT accept those words.

Seconds passed.

Nicole's face transformed into an ugly mask of pure hatred, her lip snarling up in a feral grin. The scream she let out sent a shudder through the guard standing outside, causing him to drop his keys as he tried to open the door.

The blonde rushed at Kelly, scratching his face with her right hand as her left tried to claw at his eye. The fireman was caught off guard, the shrill shriek came from some evil place that had no remnant of humanity.

But this time there was no blow from behind. This time Kelly saw her coming. This time he could grab her flailing hands and throw her against the back wall and watch as she slumped to the floor beneath her.

"You didn't break me," Kelly spat out now hovering over her, the guard tugging at his arm. "I feel sorry for you," he added. "You've got no one. You've got nothing."

Nicole tried to get up, shake off the pain shooting down her back. She crawled at Kelly's retreating legs, her hands grasping at them wildly.

She got up just as the fireman exited her cell, the door slamming shut in her face. She let out another guttural scream, so low it sounded like something from hell. She pulled at the bars, her head hitting on them as she screamed and screamed, pulling and pulling.

By the time Nicole finally gave up, Kelly was back at his place, drinking a beer, thankful Erin wasn't there. He cleaned up his face, marveling at his steady hand. His nerves were calm.

The fear was gone.

* * *

Two hours after Kelly walked out of Nicole's cell, another visitor entered. The guard wondered if he was workin' at Grand Central Station.

Nicole's vision blurred with an insane pounding in her brain. She'd gone from crying hysterically to screaming violently. She pounded on the bars, kicked them, beat her head against them. She was a bloody mess when her visitor entered.

He didn't say anything, dropping a bag of goodies in front of the barely human woman trying to decipher his identity in her mixed up brain.

The visitor turned on his heels as the blonde was gaining a thread of her old self. She grabbed on to it, clinging to it as she scooched over to the bag. Nicole smiled, dumping out its contents. She laughed grabbing at the high end shampoo, the conditioner. She opened the bottles sniffing at the ginger scent. Nicole looked at the toothbrush, some fancy Sonicare thing that hummed comfortingly like a lullaby.

The blonde noticed the toothpaste last. Some weird brand she'd never heard of. She unscrewed the cap, sniffing at the minty paste before squeezing a little dab on her tongue. Mmm, good, she thought.

Her request for a shower was met with surprise, but the guard acquiesced, hoping she'd wash some of the stink away. As he went to get a female guard, Nicole pulled the final item out of the bag … a clipping from the Chicago Tribune.

Her hand ran across the picture of the article, Kelly in his dress blues, looked like an official FD photo. After a few minutes of gently stroking the pic, Nicole's brain began reading the words … "crazed kidnapper" "desperate woman" "vicious killer" and "deadly obsession" jumped from the page. She balled up the article furiously, Kelly's words echoing in her mind … "I'm with a girl" "I love her." Over and over, his voice was in her ears, torturing her. She opened up the wad of newspaper, ripping it into teeny bits and throwing them up in the air.

"No, no, noooo!" she screamed as the female guard entered her cell.

"Calm down, Meyer. You wanted a shower. Remember?"

Nicole shoved her items back in the bag and shuffled off to the empty shower bay thinking of those last Kelly words, "I feel sorry for you. You've got no one. You've got nothing."

The guard left Nicole alone, as instructed. She'd be back in an hour. It was a long time to leave an inmate, but she wasn't about to question an order like this one.

After using the luxurious shampoo, she let the conditioner sit in her hair for a couple of minutes before rinsing it all away. She watched as the water took away the dirt and grease. Next, Nicole brushed her teeth with the new toothbrush and unusual toothpaste. She let the brush spin on her gums until they bled.

She went about her work methodically, robot-like in its resoluteness. She would always become laser focused upon a new task, new goal. Squeezing all the toothpaste out of the tin tube, she tore off the end, revealing a sharp, jagged edge.

As Nicole lay bleeding from both wrists, her criss cross work doing its job, she smiled, the tune the man whistled finally taking shape. All three times he'd left whistling that familiar song, she'd hummed along. Now, she whispered out the words, finding a comfort in them as her eyes closed one last time, "Please allow me to introduce myself…"

* * *

Hank Voight sat in his office, both feet propped up on his desk, Olinsky slumped lazily in a chair. The men passed a bottle of Scotch between them, music blaring from an old cassette player that must've been Justin's at some point.

The Rolling Stone's song reverberated out into the bullpen, Halstead and Ruzek wondering what the hell was going on.

"What are those two celebrating?" Jay asked Antonio.

"Pretty sure we don't wanna know," answered Dawson, clearing his desk before heading home.

The guys cleared out, leaving the older men to their gathering for two.

Voight didn't hear his phone ring, noticing the caller ID, his only indication that a call was coming in.

Cook County Jail.

He didn't bother picking it up.

* * *

 **Hope the fact that Nicole didn't get her head ripped off by one of our main players didn't disappoint. Haha! That Linseride date, finally, finally coming up next. Then I'll be winding down this one. Thanks for reading!**


	9. The Love

**Happy Post Thanksgiving y'all! Sorry so late in updating, but real life is getting in the way of writing. Hope you enjoy this long ending to my crazy story. Feeling thankful for many things and for all of you! Love!**

* * *

No video, no record of a visitor, no hint of who dropped off the prison-warming basket.

The case of Nicole Meyer was officially closed and with it a chapter in Kelly Severide's life. His sleepless nights lessened again with the realization that a trial was not happening. The only re-telling of the ordeal would remain in his head. He could live with that. He would have to.

Erin felt like she could breathe again, that the ordeal was finally over, that Kelly would make it back. He would make it back to her.

* * *

"Look what the cat dragged in," Herrmann called out from squad's table, sitting alone.

Kelly smiled widely, his grin covering the nerves rising up from his chest. He'd been out a long while. Longer than when he'd almost blown up in a million little pieces. Longer than when his neck almost broke into a million little pieces. Those had been different. Job related crap, came with the territory.

Every fireman knew the score. No, this was different. He'd opened the door on this one and invited the trouble in. On those nights when he still couldn't sleep, that realization came through loud and clear.

But once again, he'd made it back. And now Herrmann was looking at him like he'd barely missed a day.

Whatever.

"You better get your guys in line. They've been running around like a bunch of wild banshees," Christopher complained. What was he even doing at squad's table, Kelly thought.

Not the welcome he expected.

"Where the hell is everybody?" Kelly asked, eyes scanning the empty bay.

"Think Mouch brought donuts. They're probably stuffin' their faces," Hermann answered. "I'm watchin' my girlish figure," he added patting his gut.

"Uh, thanks," Kelly said, heading off for the kitchen with Christopher on his heels.

Whatever. Just another day. Better this way. No fuss. Business as usual. It was actually helping to calm his anxiousness.

As Kelly walked through the common area, his face broke out in a wide grin. All the guys were waiting for him, gathered around a huge cake.

"Bout damn time you showed up," Casey teased knowing his friend was fifteen minutes early. The cake said something like Welcome Back, Missed You.

Whatever.

It could've said Asshole and Kelly would have the same whole feeling in his heart. This had been missing. His work. No, more than work. His passion. The thing that defined him for almost 15 years. He needed this, and it was good to see that they needed him.

"Patterson sends his regards," Mouch deadpanned as Jimmy raised a plastic fork to a huge wedge of cake.

Kelly chuckled as he grabbed the candidate's plate. "And who are you again?" he asked the young firefighter with more laughter breaking out. "No, seriously. I don't remember you," he said taking a huge bite.

Casey gave him a "be nice" look, but Otis couldn't help from adding his two cents. "Yeah, Boden hired him cause he wanted someone to represent in this year's FD calendar."

Jimmy looked crestfallen, wondering if the lieutenant really didn't remember him.

"It sure as hell ain't gonna be you with the way you're attacking that cake," Kelly replied as Brian cut a smaller piece.

And with that, everything was the way it should be. Squad's lieutenant was back.

* * *

After his first shift back, Kelly had everything in motion for the long awaited date with Erin. Always doing things backwards, he thought wondering when time started moving so quickly. It had been a lifetime ago. It seemed like another person had prepared for the date that never happened.

Yes, they'd definitely passed up tradition with Erin moving in more out of necessity than anything else. Kelly needed her, needed to feel her pressed up against him at night, needed to hear the soft breaths that always seemed to land on his neck, needed the way her hazel eyes said "I love you" with the way they never left his.

But was she anything more than a visitor in his home? He'd given up one drawer but not much else. That was gonna change. The date was a first step. His way of letting Erin know that he wanted her to stick around for the long run. Maybe for the longest run.

He needed everything to be perfect. This date would set that run in motion.

"Kel, I'm gonna be a little late," Erin said, calling the second she had a free moment. "Our perp's being a little bitch. He's trying to work a deal tonight," she explained, exasperated at the loser they'd been shadowing for weeks. A loser trying to provide drugs to kids as young as elementary students.

"Uh, so what time you thinkin'?" asked Kelly, the unmistakeable disappointment in his voice heard by the brunette detective.

"No telling. I am so sorry about this," Erin began. "I can't just up and leave, gotta see it through," she mumbled as an afterthought.

"It's okay. Really," Kelly assured. "I'll see if I can bump the reservation. You text me when you know something."

Erin let out a frustrated breath, wishing she could just tell Halstead to handle it.

"Hey. It is okay," Kelly said. "You hear me, Lindsay?"

"I hear you, Severide," Erin laughed, closing her eyes so she could picture his, trying to comfort herself with the image of those piercing blues. The eyes that held so much turmoil for weeks, the troubled waters calming. This date their first shot at a normal existence. They were going back to the beginning.

But now her job seemed to be conspiring against them.

Erin hung up, letting her hands rub through her hair. "Damn!" she muttered angrily.

"Trouble with your fireman?" Jay asked, a teasing smirk on his face.

"No," she said raising her eyebrows in a challenge.

"You seem upset," he added, "that's all." He tacked on a cute smile at the end with raised brows of his own.

"No, everything's fine. This asshole's just cutting into date night," Erin admitted.

"Didn't think you two did that kinda thing," Jay commented.

"We do." Erin looked at her partner, enjoying the squirm he was now performing. "Well, we want to but…"

"Forces are working against you," Halstead finished her sentence the way he had since they were first partnered up.

"I guess so," Erin said sadly.

Yep, Jay thought keeping the words to himself. He did want to see the sun come up the next day, so best to keep that mouth shut, he told himself.

* * *

10:00.

That was the last possible time the hostess at Bayette's would push the Severide reservation back to. And only because she'd recognized the fireman's name from the news, remembering that handsome face splashed across the screen. She'd even made a joke to her friends about not blaming "that crazy bitch for kidnapping the guy."

At 9:45 Erin burst into Kelly's place, hair a mess, pulling her T-shirt over her head while saying a quick hello, apology, and missed you all at once.

"Hey, slow down," he said taking her shirt from her hands, planting a kiss on her forehead. "We'll get there when we get there."

She took in a deep breath, dimpled smile spreading across her face. She knew how much he wanted this night to be all theirs. How he'd probably agreed to pick up an extra shift in the coming weeks to pay for the meal. How this date was more than just another date. It signaled a new beginning, and it was off to a bad start.

"Give me five minutes. Seriously. I can be ready in five," Erin insisted, pecking Kelly's cheek and tearing off to the bathroom. She threw on a simple black dress, fluffed her hair, dabbed a little concealer under each eye, slid some gloss across her lips and rushed out of the room. She turned right back around … shoes, yes, she'd need shoes.

She skipped out of the bedroom almost tripping over her own feet as she slipped on flats.

"Sorry, left my heels at my place," she said wishing they had time to swing by and get them.

"You look perfect," Kelly said, thinking they should blow off the whole date. Just for a second. No, they were doin' this thing.

"Relax. They said they'd hold our spot. Let's get outta here," the fireman said, taking Erin's arm gently. She was instantly calmed, taking in the strength, breathing in his scent. For a split second, she thought about suggesting they just stay in. She thought about throwing off that dress and jumping him right then and there. But she knew he'd been planning this for how long? No, they were doin' this thing.

* * *

The hostess who kept pushing back Kelly's reservation was nowhere in sight, an older, stodgy maitre d' taking her place.

"You are egregiously late," he said barely looking up from his precious book.

Kelly's face reddened, a hot flush spreading from his neck up. Do not blow, he told himself. Do not blow.

"Yes, we are late as hell, but my, uh, friend had an unexpected work thing come up," Kelly felt his words fumbling around like a lost football, the lame word "friend" hanging in the air.

The maitre d' was shaking his head no when a bubbly blonde came in from the side, touching the older man's arm lightly. His face lightened up immediately as the two exchanged words in a hushed tone. She took charge as the man excused himself to check on a guest.

"Sorry about that," she said brightly. "It is 10:30, so the table I've been holding all night is gone," she added with a small pout.

Kelly hung his head. The date was a bust.

"But no sad faces," she said meeting those blues with blues of her own. "We can squeeze you in." She motioned with her hand and led the two through an obstacle course of tables, the dimly lit restaurant full of couples sitting across from each other.

They kept going, led further and further back. Finally, they reached a small table right by the kitchen. It had the looks of a makeshift spot, hastily put together to accommodate a couple of tardy patrons.

"It's good, Kelly," Erin said letting him pull her chair out. She saw that crestfallen look.

"Yeah, it's good," he agreed, pushing himself in the small opening between his chair and the table.

* * *

The third time the kitchen door hit his chair, Kelly decided it was not really good.

Every time he tried to say something, a waiter would rush by, brushing his arm, bumping the table, or almost taking Erin's head off with a tray.

"Being so close to the kitchen, you'd think we woulda got our drinks by now," he said glumly, slumping over a little as a waiter hovered a tray over his head in passing.

"Hey, it's okay," Erin said softly, reaching for his hand across the table. "We're here."

Kelly just nodded.

"Look at me. We're here," she repeated. "And that is all I need. All I want."

Another fifteen minutes ticked by with drinks finally delivered. A coke for Kelly and tea for Erin. Too bad they both had asked for waters.

Kelly threw a twenty on the table. "Let's get the hell outta here," he said smiling, a mischievous grin telling Erin to get up.

So they weren't doin' this thing after all.

* * *

"Sorry that was shot all to hell," Kelly said maneuvering the six pack in one hand and the pizza in the other with the balancing skills of a circus performer. He kicked the door to his place shut, warding off Erin's helping hands.

"Nah, I got this. You wanna change?" he asked. She nodded enthusiastically, her flats hurting her feet more than heels.

"I'll be right back," she promised. "You start eating. I know you're starved."

Erin looked at her sweats draped over a chair in Kelly's bedroom, a dirty, purple jelly stain down the front courtesy of dropped toast that morning. She searched her drawer, no sleepy clothes in sight. Hesitantly, she reached for the top drawer, his drawer. She slowly pulled it open, peering in to find … underwear. She slammed it shut.

Next drawer, T-shirts. White ones on top, but CFD shirts below. Erin looked at the sizes, feeling like she might be overstepping, hoping she wasn't. She slipped on the biggest one she could find, taking in the smell as it covered her face. All Kelly. She breathed in deep, that familiar scent of her fireman filling her nostrils. Her fireman. Yes, this shirt was the perfect fit.

* * *

Kelly tried to wait, but ended up stuffing one piece down before Erin sauntered in, shyly sporting a CFD T-shirt. His shirt.

He caught sight of the bare legs and let out a long, low whistle.

"Hope you don't mind. My stuff's all dirty…" Erin started, pulling at the hem.

"It's yours. Looks a helluva lot better on you than me," he replied, wiping the sauce off his lips. "I'm sorry the date was a bust. We can try again next week…"

"No, I'm sorry, Kelly. I was so damn late," Erin cut in wanting to ease the disappointment of the night. She didn't know that he'd already gotten over it. Seeing her in his shirt went a long way to erase the stuffy restaurant let down. "But our date isn't a bust. It's just starting," she said moving behind his dining room chair, massaging his shoulders, kissing him on the neck.

Not her style. Not her style at all, but Erin was done waiting for Kelly to make a move. They'd been sleeping together for weeks. But that was the problem - they had been SLEEPING together. Yes, there were kisses and caresses, but the minute it was going further, Kelly would pull away.

He was definitely not pulling away now. He got up, sliding his chair roughly to the side, facing the beautiful brunette, hesitating to touch her.

The fireman ran a single, calloused fingertip from just under her cheek down her neck, feeling the thump thump of her heartbeat, taking pleasure in the steadiness of it, the surety of it. Both of his hands were suddenly in her hair, his fingers weaving in the brown silk, his face pushed into the tangled mess. Kelly inhaled deeply, taking a second to pause and let her scent truly enter him. His mouth collided with hers and there was no stopping him. The world could have fallen away and Severide wouldn't have noticed.

His chest heaved with a pleasure he hadn't felt in so long as Erin arched her back, pressing her chest into him. He lifted her up off her feet, sliding her up against the wall, staring into those hazel eyes, face to face. Her lips parted slightly and Kelly pressed his tongue lightly around the small opening, tasting the sweetness of her mouth that was all Erin. She moaned loudly, dropping to the floor with Kelly on top of her.

Erin's hands trembled against his cheeks, control gone, her body doing what it wanted as if having a mind of its own. She arched her back again slowly sliding her hands down his neck to his chest.

The sweet smell of their sweat intermingled in a passion made of a pent up wanting, a longing so deep, lasting so many weeks, now released as the couple let themselves get lost in each other. Completely lost.

* * *

"I think this is now my favorite room in this joint," Kelly gruffed out, his voice coming back to him, his breath returning as well.

"This joint?" Erin questioned, also catching her breath, her head propped up in her hand. "This is _your_ joint. I think I agree though," she said, her hoarse laugh ringing out.

Damn, that laugh, thought the fireman. It's gonna be the death of me. He was okay with that. Death by Erin's laugh. Death by Erin's dimples, her eyes, her body. Yes, he was definitely okay with that.

Kelly picked up the T-shirt, a rumpled pile at his side. Erin snatched it out of his hands, covering her face with it.

"Where'd you go?" he asked, pulling the shirt down, chuckling at the smile he found underneath.

"I'm here," she answered, pecking him on the forehead. "I'm right here," she said, smile spreading to her eyes.

"Let's keep it that way," Kelly commented, so full of happiness he couldn't remember the last time he was so content.

"You got it," Erin said, pulling the shirt over her head.

"Hey! You don't need that yet," he said, stopping her in mid pull.

Erin's laugh rang out again and round two began. The pizza was officially cold. And long forgotten.

XXXX

A month flitted by and the date measured up to all those Severide expectations… in the most unexpected way, in the best way. The couple sharing a bed actually became a couple sharing a bed. Erin brought her stuff over, little by little, and before she knew it, she was moved in. The day she sublet her place cemented their "living together" status. No fanfare, no announcement … it was their way, nothing conventional, but somehow just right.

Another month rang by and the guys at 51 didn't really talk about their lieutenant without sayin' Kelly and Erin… up at 21 Voight rarely spoke to his girl without saying, "You _guys_ wanna head up Sunday? Thinkin' about throwin' something on the grill…" It was Kelly and Erin, Erin and Kelly … a couple, a match, a perfect match.

The cold winter day said stay inside, crank up the heat, snuggle in front of the TV and sip hot cocoa to ward off the deep freeze temps outside. But Erin decided she wanted to get Kelly a new coat, a real winter coat, something better than that macho leather jacket he always wore.

"That thing CANNOT possibly keep you warm," Erin insisted, trying to zip it up, his hands pushing off any zipper action.

"This old thing is warmer than your 23 layers, babe," Severide insisted right back.

Erin's raspy laugh rang out in its familiar way.

"But whatever you want," Kelly said giving into those dimples. Always.

Erin took her man's arm in hers as they headed outside. Macy's was the goal. She'd done her homework and found the perfect Kelly North Face coat on sale at the retailer. She knew he was more of a purchaser and not a shopper. They'd get in and out before he even knew he was at Macy's. That was the plan.

The walk from the parking garage to their destination was like competing in the Iditarod, the freezing temps, the slippery pavement, the piles of snow.

Erin watched as Kelly shivered uncontrollably, not able to suppress a smile. Warm my ass, she thought smugly. She tried to wrap her arms around him, but he was having none of that, draping an arm around her shoulders as their pace picked up.

She gazed up at him as they reached the doors, thinking about how she loved the way he would never admit he was cold. She realized she loved all the little things about this man at her side.

She loved the way he gave a couple of bucks to the old man on the corner, palm up. The way his smile could light up any room. The way he flirted with Platt anytime he visited Erin unexpectedly at 21. The way he brought her flowers in spite of her saying they were a waste of money.

Erin even loved those things that would drive a normal woman crazy. She loved the way he insisted he was all good, even when he wasn't. The way he clamped his mouth shut at the mention of Nicole Meyer. The way he puffed his chest up at the sight of Jay Halstead. The infuriating way he took the weight of the world on his shoulders.

She watched as he tried on _her_ pre-selected jacket and declared, "This one'll work."

"I love you, Kelly Severide," Erin blurted out.

Kelly stared at her, eyes wide, looking at her through the mirror he'd been admiring the coat in.

"I love you too, Erin Lindsay," he said to her reflection. He turned around, taking her in his arms, wrapping his jacket around her small body, both of them cocooned in the warmth. "I love you," he repeated, whispering it in her ear this time.

Erin had another thing to add to her list. She loved the way he held her, nothing could touch her in his arms. Nothing.

But it was the way he said, "I love you," that made its way to the top of her list. Yes, she decided, that was what she loved most of all.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed the sweet! God knows I put him through enough sour. Ha! This one is officially done, wasn't really going to get into their life together. Thanks for reading!**


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